Youth participation a catalyst for democratic renewal and accountability, say participants at Afrobarometer/Youth Democracy Cohort event
African youth’s political and civic engagement is necessary for rejuvenating democracy and ensuring accountability across the continent – that was the message that resonated strongly with stakeholders as Afrobarometer (www.Afrobarometer.org), in collaboration with the Youth Democracy Cohort (YDC), co-hosted a side event during the 5th African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Youth Symposium at the Pan-African Parliament in Midrand.
Held under the theme “Youth in governance: From promise to prosperity,” the two-day symposium brought together young leaders from across Africa, diplomatic representatives, policy makers, private sector leaders, and media voices for intergenerational dialogue and peer engagement aimed at building a bold and united future for African democracies.
Participants explored the growing influence of “Gen Z” and the ways in which youth-led activism is reshaping civic and political activities throughout the continent. They stressed the urgency of governance reforms that genuinely respond to citizens’ expectations, noting that unmet promises risk deepening youth frustration and disengagement. The conversations also highlighted the vital role of communication in the digital age for promoting transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in governance.
The Afrobarometer/YDC side event, dubbed “Youth voices in data: Turning insights into action,” reinforced the power of data in shaping responsive policies for Africa’s youth. The session provided data-driven perspectives on African youth’s aspirations, unemployment, views on migration, and political and civic participation.
Afrobarometer data presented by the Communications Coordinator for Southern Africa, Asafika Mpako, showed that African youth are less likely than older generations to engage in a variety of political and civic activities, although they are more likely to protest. While many young Africans support democratic governance and reject authoritarian alternatives, they are less trusting of their elected leaders than older citizens, and more likely to perceive them to be corrupt. African youth are also the most likely of any generation to express willingness to accept military rule, should elected leaders abuse power. Meanwhile, high levels of unemployment and restricted access to economic opportunities drive young people’s desire to emigrate.
Complementing these insights, the Global Youth Participation Index (GYPI) (http://apo-opa.co/4p0XUiR), developed by the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) with the expertise of the Youth Democracy Cohort (YDC), offered a global comparative lens to youth involvement in political and civic activities. Covering more than 140 countries and measuring four key dimensions – socio‑economic context, civic space, political affairs, and elections – the index demonstrates that, while young people are eager to engage, they face a range of major challenges, including access to information, resources, spaces, and representation, and whether they have a genuine ability to influence decision making.
Mikhail Nyamweya, research consultant for the GYPI, stressed youth’s desire to reshape the future, but noted the slow pace of reforms.
“The message is very simple: The youth are active, but the systems are slow to respond,” he said. “Africa is the world’s youngest region, yet most decision-making structures do not institutionalise youth representation.”
Speaking at the main plenary, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, former African Union Commission chairperson, emphasised the importance of empowering young people.
“The important thing is that we must invest in young people,” she said. “The people are our most precious resource.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afrobarometer.
For more information, please contact:
Asafika Mpako
Communications coordinator for Southern Africa
Telephone: +27 83 979 8299
Email: ampako@afrobarometer.org
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About Afrobarometer:
Afrobarometer (AB) is a trusted source of high-quality data and analysis on what Africans are thinking. With an unmatched track record of 430,000+ interviews in 45 countries, representing the views of more than 75% of the African population, AB is leading the charge to bridge the continent’s data gap. AB data inform many global indices, such as the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer, and the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators. The data are also used for country risk analyses and by credit rating and forecasting agencies such as the Economist Intelligence Unit. All AB data sets are publicly available on the website (www.Afrobarometer.org) and may be analysed free of charge using AB’s online data analysis tool (http://apo-opa.co/49FcvvA).
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About the Youth Democracy Cohort:
The Youth Democracy Cohort was launched on 15 September 2022 during the European Year of Youth in 2022 as an inclusive platform bringing together governments, civil society and the private sector to advance youth political and civic engagement. Originally, this cohort was designed to take meaningful action toward implementing government commitments from the Summit for Democracy, supported by the European Commission through the Women and Youth in Democracy Engagement (WYDE) initiative.
The Youth Democracy Cohort (YDC) has since grown beyond the Summit for Democracy, expanding to more than 550 member organisations (http://apo-opa.co/3M13a7m) and advocating for youth political participation globally via a wide range of impactful activities. In 2025, the YDC received new funding from the Digital Democracy Initiative, to focus specifically on the digital rights of young people.
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