By Hassan Zaggi
The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Ms. Amina Mohammed, has called on governments of the Sahel, entities and development partners to give maximum support and attention to the youth of the region so that, together, they can build the Sahel of their dreams for the future generation.
She stated this while formally launching the Generation Unlimited (GenU) for the Sahel.
GenU Sahel’s mission is to partner with youth to deliver peace, security, stability and economic prosperity in the Sahel region.
GenU Sahel is connecting Sahelian youth to opportunities and driving progress towards the SDGs.
To achieve GenU Sahel’s audacious mission will require significant catalytic investments to fuel disruptive and innovative action at scale to deliver a leap forward for Youth in the Sahel.
“I call on governments of the Sahel, United Nation, entities and development partners to give this initiative your maximum attention and support so that together and young people we can build the Sahel of their dreams for today and for future generations,” Ms. Mohammed stressed.
While noting that the UN was in full support and stands with the young people, she said: “Millions of people living in the Sahel face insecurity and serious challenges of sustainable development complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to act now and support our children and grandchildren.
“The Sahel is young with over 64 per cent of people under 25 years. More than half are women and girls. The Generation Unlimited in the Sahel is an important and urgent initiative.
“The United Nations stands with young people. The ongoing conversation between the United Nations and the young people of the Sahel launched under an integrated strategy for the Sahel are helping us to understand your priorities and hopes so that we can integrate them into our support for the region.
“Young people’s view points and approaches are essential to making the Sahel peaceful, resilient and prosperous today and tomorrow. The Security Council resolution creating the UN integrated strategy for the Sahel is focused on women and young people.
“The Sahel we want is the Sahel at the centre of a new and positive narrative. Young people can build this Sahel if given the opportunity. They have already started. On this basis, I officially launched the Generation Unlimited for the Sahel.”
Speaking, the Chairman of The Tony Elumelu Foundation, Tony Onyemaechi Elumelu, while commending the formal launch of the GenU Sahel, disclosed that his Foundation had since taken steps towards developing young people in the Sahel.
He called for collective efforts to build and develop young people in the region, stressing that: “Collective approach is needed to tackle the intractable crisis in the Sahel region and empowering and invest in our young people, especially in the Sahel to give them economic hope and opportunity.”
He said that: “Through the Elumelu Foundation, we have trained over 1.5 million young African in the continent through our annual Elumelu foundation programme which provides 5,000 dollars for our beneficiaries.
“Business training and mentorship on young people to develop their skill in entrepreneurship, we have also trained 10,898 entrepreneurs across Africa.
“These young African entrepreneurs have gone ahead to generate over 4000 direct and indirect jobs across the continent.
“In 2019, we partnered with the UNDP to identify, train, mentor over 2100 young entrepreneurs in the Sahel region. “This include northern Nigeria, Bulkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leon and Mauritania.
“Again, last year, we partnered with UNDP to fund and train 1860 young people who are victims of conflict, insecurity and poverty.”
It would be recalled that Generation Unlimited (GenU), a global Public Private-Youth partnership was launched by the United Nations Secretary-General during the 2018 UN General Assembly to skill the world’s 1.8 billion young people and connect them to employment, entrepreneurship and social impact opportunities.
GenU Sahel will, therefore, seize the opportunity to upscale youth programs and initiatives, under the aegis of the Secretary General’s United Nations Special Coordinator for the Sahel and the GenU CEO.
GenU is aligned with the African Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment 2019–2023, the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063, the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS), and the G5 Sahel Youth Strategy.
