By 2050, one-third of the globe’s population under 30 years old will be African, eclipsing China and India. The coming boom in younger people poses tremendous opportunities for the continent, but plenty of challenges as well.
How can Africa benefit from what’s referred to as the ‘demographic dividend’ — when growth in the youth population adds to the labor force, creating additional economic resources than what’s required to support a nation’s elderly population?
This was the core consideration of leading economists and human development experts on a panel facilitated by Batten Dean Ian Solomon at the African Human Capital Summit in Tanzania last week. Organized by the World Bank, the summit drew more than 1,000 attendees, including almost 100 heads of state and ministers from across Africa.
Leading the summit’s kick-off discussion, “The Science Behind Human Capital,” the dean encouraged the audience to keep two important things in mind. First, the quality and accountability of investments in education are critical to ensure meaningful results (here he referenced the research of Batten faculty member Isaac Mbiti). The success of education programs cannot simply be measured in the number of students and teachers in the system, but must focus on whether young people are prepared to be productive members of society.
CNBC Africa video of panel discussion
