The 2025 international youth day theme: Local youth actions for the SDGs and Beyond”, sounds so articulated and purpose driven. It challenges young people to move from aspiration to transformation. Africa, with the world’s most youthful population, should be in fore front leading the campaign of this day. Yet, for many African youths, the day risks becoming another cosmetic ceremonial day filled with speeches, webinars and photos that do not live to address the real obstacles they face in achieving the SDGs. Instead of being a springboard for concrete solutions, it too often serves as a symbolic observance, leaving urgent and critical problems unresolved and opportunities and time wasted.
Bad leadership and poor governance, driven largely by old, colonial minded leaders who have clung to power for decares, undermine the very goals the SDGs stan for – ending poverty, ensuring quality education, achieving gender equality, building peace and fostering partnership and others. These leaders perpetuate corruption, violent elections and the dismantling of democratic structures and systems for their selfish interests and drunk for power. They fuel wars, inequality, and ethnic divisions, crushing the very generation that could carry Africa forward. The horn of Africa and other parts of Africa says it all. The result is a continent where too many young people are unemployed, join criminal gangs, become sycophants to the very soul that sucks their blood just for crumbs of food. And they become silenced, too week and survivors of overpoliced generation and forced to survive of the diverse complex-deadly government regimes. They weaponize hunger, poverty, bigotry against the very youth.
This reality dims the light of Africa’s youth, replacing ambition with disillusioned mindset and trauma. The so-called “youth bulge” becomes “youth boil” a ticking time bomb rather than a developmental mesosphere. But young Africans are not powerless, with such populous numbers, they hold a populous advantage if well organized lawfully, civically, and strategically-can turn demographic weight into democratic change. By voting in large numbers, organizing grassroots initiatives, monitoring governance, and insisting on accountability, transparency, they can create the Africa they want, aligned with both SDGs ad African own aspirations.
Yet, one question many young Africans have persistently asked is: When will the States of United Africa (SUA) become? This is one of the ways they re-imagine Africa. Africa that will longer operate as club houses for the rich and entrenched leaders. What do African youths desire more? An Africa where leadership is a term of service, not a lifetime entitlement. Where government resources fund education, support health care system strengthening and innovation, not foreign mansions and seek medical care abroad. Where unity transcends ethnicity, and where opportunity depends on merit, not political connections. Africa where the global north migrants will seek greener pasture, an Africa where young people are not only the future leaders but the driving force of change of the present.