The Government of Ghana is earnestly preparing to host African youth, youth leaders and top-ranking African Government Officials, including African ministers of youth, leading innovators, entrepreneurs, and senior UN officials from across the world for the 2021 edition of YouthConnekt Africa (YCA) Summit from 20th – 22nd October in Ghana’s capital city, Accra.
The YouthConnekt Africa Summit will be on the theme: “Africa Beyond Aid: Positioning the Youth for the Post-Covid Economy and AfCFTA Opportunities.” It will be a hybrid event hosted by Ghana’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Youth Authority, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The summit will connect youth to thought-leaders, peers, resources, technologies, skills and economic development opportunities. The official programme includes custom-themed panel discussions that will focus on various topics including:
- Positioning African Youth to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement
- Easier & Affordable Tourism & Travel in the AfCFTA era
- AfCFTA taking Africa beyond Aid: Youth for Intra-Africa Trade
- CONNEKTEDGIRLS: Africa Gets More If She Trades More
There will also be the YCA Awards, creative side events, information on strategic youth initiatives among other contents.
Since its inception in 2012, the YouthConnekt Summit has been serving as a high-level platform for youth leaders and development stakeholders to synergize around policies, programmes, and partnerships.
The YouthConnekt Africa Hub has grown to a network of 23 African countries with long term sponsors and partners including the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Government of Rwanda. With senior level participation from various UN agencies, African ministers of youth, the private sector and youth-led organisations, the Summit delivers extensive brand sponsorship opportunities for organisations seeking to engage with African youth and youth development segments at scale.
There were over 10,000 participants from 91 countries in the 2019 Summit, which attracted partners including Mastercard Foundation, African Development Bank, UN agencies, Rwanda Air; and speakers including the President of Rwanda – H.E Paul Kagame, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP Africa – Ahunna Eziakonwa, Alibaba Founder-Jack Ma, American Singer and Entrepreneur-Akon, and Ivorian Veteran Footballer-Didier Drogba. This year’s event in Ghana promises to be bigger.
