Background

Africa is anticipated to reach a population of 2.5 billion by 2050, with a current median age of 18.6, positioning it as the world's youngest continent. Projections indicate that the youth population aged 0-24 will grow to 945 million by 2050. Despite this significant youth demographic, one-third of working-age youth (aged 15-35) are unemployed, with young individuals comprising up to 60% of Africa's unemployed populace. An average of 11 million young people enter Africa's labour market annually, while the continent generates only 3.7 million jobs annually.

Within the context of these challenges, green technology is emerging as a potential avenue to address climate change, youth unemployment, and economic diversification in Africa. While these sectors are still relatively small across the continent, they are rapidly expanding. Despite the theoretical expectation that these sectors will be more conducive to youth employment than their non-green counterparts, their actual impact on youth employment still needs to be explored and assessed more adequately. As such, it is imperative to understand how policies, funding, and entrepreneurial decisions can drive improvements in youth employment outcomes within Africa's green technology sectors.

In Kenya, where 31% of young people aged 15-34 are either under-employed (less than 40 hours a week of work and willing to work more hours) or unemployed and confront a pronounced youth unemployment challenge, green technology sectors, particularly E-mobility, offer promising prospects for addressing youth unemployment and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Already, e-mobility is employing more than 11,000 people in the country and stands as a prime candidate for growth and innovation, holding the promise of creating meaningful job opportunities for the nation’s youth. However, realising this potential necessitates supportive government policies and regulations. While some policies and regulations already exist within the e-mobility sector, further research is essential to gauge their impact on youth job creation and alignment with national youth employment policies.

The Event

To this end, Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI) in partnership with Jacob’s Ladder Africa and the Mastercard Foundation, is convening a roundtable discussion event to unveil the initial findings from their study on policy and regulatory frameworks in e-mobility and youth employment in Kenya. The event will delve into the following key areas: