Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma calls for empowerment of African youth and women
H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the Africa Prosperity Network (APN) Advisory Council, has called for concerted efforts to empower African youth and women, emphasizing that their inclusion is critical to realizing a prosperous, integrated, and peaceful Africa.
She made the call while delivering her welcome address at the Africa Prosperity Network Dialogue (APD) 2026, held in Accra on Wednesday, 4th February 2026.
The dialogue, which runs from 4th to 6th February 2026, is convened under the theme: “Empowering SMEs, Women and Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate. Collaborate. Trade.”
Dr. Dlamini-Zuma hailed the APN as “the boardroom of Africa,” where vision meets execution and African prosperity narratives are shaped by Africans themselves. She highlighted the importance of empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women, and youth, noting that Africa’s continental free trade initiative and single market can only succeed with their active participation.
“The Africa we want—a continent that is integrated, prosperous, and peaceful—must be driven by its own citizens, drawing on the full potential of women and youth,” she said. “Without empowering them, Africa will go nowhere.”
Citing key statistics, Dr. Dlamini-Zuma noted that youth make up 60% of Africa’s population, yet structural unemployment remains high, while women contribute nearly 50% of GDP but face systemic exclusion from finance and trade networks. She stressed that empowering young entrepreneurs could generate up to 50 million jobs by 2030 and that closing the gender gap in trade could increase intra-African trade by 15% annually.
Dr. Dlamini-Zuma also called for deliberate integration of women – and youth-led enterprises into regional value chains, investment in skills development, and greater access to digital technologies. She emphasized that simplified cross-border trade, mobile payment interoperability, and financial transparency are essential to enable SMEs and young entrepreneurs to thrive.
Highlighting Africa’s potential in science, technology, engineering, and medicine, she urged the continent to contribute to artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, ensuring that Africa is not merely a consumer of data but also a contributor.
Dr. Dlamini-Zuma further underscored the importance of unity, recalling the vision of late President Kwame Nkrumah and emphasizing the need for a borderless Africa to boost trade, mobility, and collaboration. She cited Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia as examples of countries successfully implementing borderless trade without compromising security.
“The measure of success for this dialogue will not be the eloquence of our discussions, but the courage of our implementation,” she said. “If we empower SMEs, women, and youth, innovate with purpose, and collaborate across borders, we will ignite hope and show African youth that their future lies here on the continent, not in perilous journeys abroad.”
Dr. Dlamini-Zuma further urged participants and Africans everywhere to commit to the movement for a borderless, prosperous Africa. She stressed that building the “Africa We Want” is a shared responsibility for governments, businesses, and citizens alike.
