Beyond drums and dances: reclaiming Pan-African youth leadership in the digital age

The Star

3 days ago

Maha Jouini | Updated 4 days ago
Africa is the youngest continent on earth, with over 70% of its population under the age of 30 (African Development Bank, 2021).
Yet this demographic advantage—often celebrated with ceremonial fanfare during annual Youth Month observances — remains largely untapped.
Behind the ritualistic drumbeats and cultural performances that typically mark these occasions lies a stark reality: across the continent, youth — especially young women and rural girls — face systemic marginalisation that restricts their access to education, political influence, and economic opportunity.
As we reflect during Youth Month, this is not merely a moment for celebration but a clarion call to dismantle exclusion and build inclusive futures grounded in authentic Pan-African values: solidarity, equity, innovation, and self-determination. The time has come to move beyond performative acknowledgement toward transformative action.
Cameroon's ratification of major international conventions on gender equality — including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) — has not prevented deep inequalities from persisting, particularly in the North, Adamaoua, and Far North regions.
These areas are marked by enduring patriarchal norms that place minimal value on girls' education. As documented by Fadimatou Sali (2022), pervasive stereotypes — including beliefs that educated girls become unmarriageable — systematically drive early school dropouts, child marriage, and lifelong economic dependence.
This exclusion transcends gender issues; it represents a fundamental development crisis that undermines the region's entire economic potential. When half the population is systematically excluded from education and formal economic participation, entire communities suffer the consequences.
Urban youth across the continent are writing a different narrative entirely. Digital connectivity and cross-border solidarity networks have enabled them to organise sophisticated resistance movements against authoritarianism, inequality, and systemic exclusion. Social media platforms, encrypted messaging apps, and online organising tools have democratised access to information and coordination capabilities that previous generations could only dream of.
As explored by Luntumbue and Kupper (2023), movements like Y'en a Marre (Senegal), Le Balai Citoyen (Burkina Faso), and Filimbi (Democratic Republic of Congo) demonstrate that contemporary youth are far from apolitical — they have simply rejected the hollow promises and corrupt practices of traditional political establishments.
These digitally-savvy activists leverage Twitter campaigns, viral videos, and WhatsApp networks to mobilise thousands, often bypassing traditional media gatekeepers entirely.
These movements represent more than protest collectives; they embody a fundamental civic transformation.
Their digital fluency enables them to document police brutality in real-time, fact-check government propaganda instantly, and coordinate peaceful demonstrations across multiple cities simultaneously — capabilities that fundamentally alter the power dynamics between citizens and states.
A comprehensive 2022 report by International Alert, extensively covered in La Presse de Tunisie, reveals how youth in Tunisia's densely populated neighbourhoods — including Kabaria (Tunis), Kasserine Nord, and Tataouine Nord — confront a development model designed to exclude them. Despite elaborate rhetoric about youth inclusion and numerous dialogue forums, actual public policy implementation has systematically failed to address their fundamental social needs, fostering widespread despair, alienation, and escalating violence.
This failure, characterised by researchers as a fundamentally punitive development approach, has contributed to alarming rates of depression and social aggression among young people, with devastating implications for mental health and community cohesion. Youth interviewed for the study expressed profound feelings of state betrayal, citing persistent unemployment, inadequate healthcare access, substandard educational opportunities, and pervasive social stigmatisation.
The study reveals how this systematic marginalisation creates a destructive cycle: exclusion breeds frustration, frustration manifests as delinquency and risky behaviour, which then leads to youth incarceration without meaningful rehabilitation programs. Prisons become warehouses of despair rather than spaces for social reintegration, perpetuating rather than breaking cycles of marginalisation.
What distinguishes this generation of African youth is their intuitive mastery of digital technologies as tools for social transformation. From organising flash protests through encrypted apps to creating alternative media platforms that bypass state censorship, young Africans are leveraging technology to reclaim agency over their narratives and futures.
In countries with restrictive media environments, youth have created underground networks of citizen journalists who document and disseminate information about government corruption, police brutality, and social injustices. Blockchain-based systems enable secure communication and even alternative economic systems that operate beyond state control.
This digital fluency represents a fundamental shift in power dynamics. Previous generations required access to printing presses, radio stations, or television networks to reach mass audiences. Today's youth can livestream events to thousands, create viral content that reaches millions, and coordinate international solidarity campaigns—all from smartphones that cost less than a month's minimum wage. Pan-African Lessons: From Margins to Centre
From the systematically silenced girls of northern Cameroon to the digitally mobilised youth activists in Kinshasa and Ouagadougou, and the economically abandoned youth of Tunisia's marginalised neighbourhoods, a clear pattern emerges: Africa's sustainable progress depends entirely on its youth receiving genuine inclusion, not tokenistic representation.
The African Youth Charter (2006) formally recognises young people as primary drivers of peace, transformation, and sustainable development. However, this recognition must translate into concrete structural inclusion with measurable outcomes and accountability mechanisms.
Educational Revolution : Educational systems across the continent require fundamental restructuring to dismantle gendered and socioeconomic barriers while preparing all youth for digital and ecological transitions. This means investing in digital literacy programmes, STEM education for girls, and vocational training aligned with emerging green economy opportunities.
Political Integration : Youth must gain guaranteed political representation, not as symbolic tokens but as full decision-makers with real power over budgets, policies, and institutional reforms. This requires constitutional amendments in many countries to lower age requirements for elected office and establish youth quota systems.
Economic Empowerment : Governments and development partners must invest substantially in youth-led entrepreneurship ecosystems, including startup incubators, digital payment systems, and micro-finance programs specifically designed for young entrepreneurs. Special emphasis should be placed on supporting young women entrepreneurs and rural youth.
Intergenerational Dialogue : Creating authentic dialogue platforms rooted in Ubuntu philosophy and inclusive governance principles requires moving beyond ceremonial consultations toward substantive power-sharing arrangements between generations.
Mental Health Infrastructure : Expanding access to mental health services and community-based support systems in underserved urban areas must become a development priority, recognising that psychological well-being underpins all other forms of empowerment.
Digital Rights Protection : As youth increasingly operate in digital spaces, protecting their rights to privacy, free expression, and digital security becomes essential for maintaining civic engagement and democratic participation.
The question facing African leaders today is no longer whether the continent's youth are prepared for leadership — they are already leading transformative movements, shaping continental narratives, and building innovative solutions despite facing severe resource constraints and systematic exclusion.
The real question is whether existing institutions, governments, and traditional leaders possess the wisdom and courage to follow their lead rather than obstruct their progress.
Maha Jouini is driving ethical AI and responsible data practices to empower Francophone Africa, champion Pan-African values, and foster inclusive innovation.