In Africa, agricultureis in the spotlight again. This is because, in the short term, most employment opportunities for youth are to be found in this sector. However, although agriculture is high on the agenda, much work remains to be done to create enough decent and rewarding employment for youth.

This strong message emerged at the conference Boosting youth employment in Africa: what works and why?,hosted by INCLUDE and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague on 30 May 2017. The 140 experts from governments, the private sector, NGOs and knowledge institutes in Europe and Africa who attended the conference agreed that industrialization is not the answer and that the opportunities offered by ICT services, although promising, cannot keep up with the rapid population growth. No, it is agriculture that offers the most promise. But there is no single way to boost youth employment: a country-specific diagnosis and approach are needed, as well as continuous knowledge sharing on what works and why, including what works, why and for whom, as different groups of youth have different ambitions and needs. A full report of the conference can be read here.