Partnership with Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa to encourage youth entrepreneurship
The International Trade Centre and the Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa signed a new partnership agreement to involve youth in participating in the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa (YALDA), an international non-profit organization, have deepened their existing engagement through a new, formal partnership.
YALDA contributes to the development of Africa’s young leaders and encourages youth to participate in the implementation and achievement of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) under the ‘Umoja Africa Campaign – Youth Contributing to the Implementation of the AfCFTA’ – a campaign that uses various platforms to create awareness of the concepts, benefits and opportunities that are available to youth through regional integration and intra-African trade.
ITC will support YALDA’s activities and events that provide a platform for African youth, both within Africa and in the diaspora to understand the tenets of the AfCFTA better. ITC will provide technical and in-kind support to YALDA for these activities.
YALDA and the ITC recognize that without addressing information asymmetry around the AfCFTA and its tenets among young people, might result in the inability to effectively harness the ‘demographic dividend’ and put into effect Agenda 2030, The Africa we want.
ITC therefore joins the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Union – AfCFTA Secretariat, Afrexim Bank, and the UN Development Programme among other institutions which have committed to engage Africa’s youth in the AfCFTA.
Matthews Mmopi, the International Chairperson of YALDA said, “we are excited about deepening our partnership with ITC at this crucial time. Through ITC’s support, we will be able to empower Africa’s young leaders in driving the achievement of the AfCFTA goals through the Umoja Africa campaign.”
Anders Aeroe, Director of the Division of Enterprises and Institutions, noted that, “making the AfCFTA and its benefits accessible to youth is a very important feat and we are happy to once again join forces with YALDA. Our work under the Umoja Africa campaign also complements our joint white paper on Opportunities for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship: Understanding the African Continental Free Trade Area, now with the direct involvement of young people across the continent”.
Learn more about YALDA and their work: Mission-vision-core-values | YALDA (yaldafrica.org)