African Development Bank (AfDB) Group President, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, has joined world leaders on the World Bank Group’s High-Level Advisory Council on Jobs, reinforcing Africa’s position at the forefront of the global youth employment agenda.
Invited by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, Dr. Ould Tah attended the Council’s meeting held on the sidelines of the 2025 World Bank Group and IMF Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C. The Council brings together heads of international financial institutions, ministers, and business leaders to create jobs through high-impact, sustainable investments.
As he marks the midway point of his first 100 days in office, Dr. Ould Tah’s participation highlights the African Development Bank’s commitment to placing jobs, youth, and opportunity at the heart of Africa’s economic transformation.
“Africa’s youth are not a burden to manage; they are the engine of our continent’s future,” said Dr. Ould Tah. “We need to invest in the right skills, formalise the informal economy, and back MSMEs at scale.”
This year’s Jobs Council meeting focused on tourism and skills development - two sectors where Africa holds immense potential. Tourism already supports one in 20 jobs across the continent, with strong participation from women and young people. However, more than 80% of these workers remain in the informal economy without social protection, access to finance, or structured career pathways.
The persistent mismatch between education and market demand continues to hinder youth employment across Africa, despite the continent’s rapidly growing labour force.
The AfDB President showcased the Bank’s expanding portfolio of job creation and youth empowerment initiatives, including its flagship Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy, which has mobilised over $105 billion in financing and is on track to create 19 million jobs by the end of 2025.
He also highlighted the Bank’s Youth, Skills and Jobs Marker System, a pioneering tool designed to track job quality, inclusion, and outcomes in Bank-financed projects, alongside programmes supporting tourism-driven MSMEs and digital-first skilling to close workforce gaps.
Dr. Ould Tah’s engagement in the Council forms part of a wider series of high-level meetings during the Annual Sessions, including bilateral discussions with ministers, development partners, and private sector leaders.
These interactions align with his Four Cardinal Points strategic priorities: mobilising capital at scale, unifying markets, industrialising locally, and investing in talent and technology, the foundation of the Bank’s mission to unlock Africa’s economic potential.
No comments:
Post a Comment