Former Zambian Vice-President wants the youth in Africa to abolish colonial boundaries
Africa has more than 400 million young people aged between 15 and 35, but it is being pointed out that this number can only become a strong force if mobilized to cooperate and work together
Black News 
As more than 300 young people converge in Tanzania for their annual YouLead Summit, it has been pointed out that colonial drawn territorial boundaries are badly splitting asunder the youth on the continent.
Addressing the summit in Arusha, the former Vice President of Zambia Nevers Mumba said the youth on the continent can become more productive when working together than when they confine themselves within their own countries.
“The African Union estimates that the continent has more than 400 million young people aged between 15 and 35, but this number can only become a strong force if mobilized to cooperate and work together,” said Ambassador Mumba who once also served Zambia High Commissioner to Canada.
“Because This year’s theme ‘Breaking barriers, Building the future Youth, advancing sustainable development through peace, Justice, And green translation speaks directly to the reality,” said Mumba.
One of the participants, Cynthia Wanini Tharao from Kenya said the YouLead Summits not only bring together young people from across the continent but also serves as a platform which creates economic opportunities and helps solve problems affecting Africa.
Her view is also reflected by Regina Mlay, from Tanzania, who describes the summit as a continental youth parliament which helps to bring to the public a number of issues that would have otherwise never got to be addressed elsewhere.
On his part, Cosmas Msoka, points out that the summit becomes more effective because it is the only platform which links the youth, politicians, government leaders, advocacy groups and business persons.
Tanzania where the Summit is taking place, on the other hand is the process of involving the use to help transform 80 percent of all government undertakings and transactions digitized, being one of the efforts to modernize and speed up services while also creating jobs for the technology savvy youth.
The Minister of State in the President’s office in charge of Youth Development, Joel Nanauka, said digitizing public services are among the Nation’s Vision 2050 which also entails empowering the youth, creating employment and addressing effects of climate change.
“Digitalizing public services helps to cut down the country’s carbon footprint and, in the process, also create jobs for the youth, who are always technological oriented,” said the Minister while addressing more than 300 youth delegates from various African countries gathering in Arusha.
Tanzania is once more hosting the ‘YouLead Summit,’ which has brought in Arusha young people from across Africa representing different sectors, languages and communities, for their annual platform.
The minister said Tanzania’s population is mostly made up of young people aged between 15 to 35 years, accounting for 20.6 million residents equivalent to 34.5 percent of our total population.
“And if you look at the country’s job market, young people aged between 15 to 35, they contribute about 55.6 on the labor force in Tanzania, therefore out of the 25 million active produces in Tanzania the youth make 14 million of them.”
The more than 300 participants of YouLead Summit 2026 share lived experiences and are gathering in Northern Tanzania alongside ministers, vice presidents, institutions, Elders, organizers, and partners to reflect, listen, challenge ideas, exchange knowledge, and shape the future of the continent together.
The annual event, which was hatched in 2017 and pivoted in Tanzania is organized by the MS-Training Center for Development Cooperation (TCDC), in association with the East African Community (EAC), with support from the European Union (EU), the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA)’s Fellowship Center and AGRA’s Generation Africa.
On her part, the Executive Director of MS-TCDC Dr Anna Luis Haule said this latest gathering of 2026 is not simply to open another conference, but to enter a moment of responsibility and possibility.
“Young Africans from all over the continent are organizing themselves across borders, building solidarity with claiming knowledge Systems, and insisting that development must be measured not only by growth, but by ensuring that other people can live the Dignity, safety, purpose, and hope,” explained Dr Haule.
“The future of global Peace, climate resilience, Innovation, and human cooperation cannot be imagined without the voices, labor, creativity, and Leadership emerging from this continent,” she said, adding that the world does not need Africa only as a market or as a resource, but also for its humanity and wisdom.
The YouLead Summit 2026 runs in sync with the ‘African Day.’
