What does it take to create dignified and fulfilling work for youth? Lessons from Youth Employment Policy Reviews across Africa

Issue 17 of Southern Lens on Development by Prof. Jane Mariara 

Africa’s greatest potential lies in its young people, yet millions remain without decent work opportunities. What will it take to turn promise into prosperity?

Through their energy, creativity, and resilience, Africa’s young people are the continent’s most powerful asset. Yet too many remain excluded from decent and fulfilling work. Each year, millions enter the labor market, but opportunities in the formal economy have not kept pace. In response, governments and partners across the continent are re-examining what truly works to create dignified livelihoods for youth.

Through the What Works for Youth Employment in Africa initiative—implemented by the Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation—local research teams in ten countries have reviewed the design, coordination, and impact of national youth employment policies and programs. Together, these studies form one of the most comprehensive comparative analyses of African youth-employment strategies to date, offering vital lessons for inclusive and sustainable development.

Shared Challenges, Shared Determination

As PEP and its partners examined youth-employment strategies across the ten participating countries, a common story began to emerge—one of shared obstacles but also shared resolve.

While contexts differ, findings from the country's reviews reveal both shared challenges and inspiring examples of reform that others can learn from.

Across all ten countries, a consistent picture emerges: structural and institutional barriers continue to limit young people’s access to decent work. In South Africa, unemployment remains among the highest in the world, with more than half of the youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET). Uganda faces a similar reality—over 50% of its young people are disengaged from school and work, with women disproportionately affected.

In Kenya, Ethiopia, and Ghana, skills mismatches and fragmented programming undermine the impact of youth employment initiatives. The findings from Niger, Burkina Faso, and Rwanda highlight gaps in coordination and financing, while those from Nigeria and Senegal reveal persistent informality despite vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystems. Yet, each country also demonstrates innovation—proof that evidence-informed reform can turn demographic pressure into opportunity.

Country Insights: Evidence for Action

Ghana—Strength in coordination. Ghana’s review found more than twenty youth programs operating under different ministries, often duplicating efforts. Consolidating initiatives and institutionalizing impact evaluation would improve coherence and accountability.

Burkina Faso – Embedding evaluation. In Burkina Faso, overlapping mandates limit results. Establishing a permanent national research and monitoring mechanism could help track outcomes, promote learning, and improve youth policy alignment.

Ethiopia – Inclusive design. Ethiopia’s youth policies—from the Youth Revolving Fund to the National Youth Policy—have expanded access but require stronger coordination and more inclusive targeting, especially of rural youth and persons with disabilities.

Rwanda – Incentivizing employers. Rwanda’s study found that training alone is insufficient unless linked to market demand. Incentives for private firms to offer apprenticeships, combined with robust monitoring systems, can transform short-term training into lasting opportunities.

Nigeria – Unlocking entrepreneurship. Evidence shows that competition-based grants and mentorship models, such as YouWIN, are particularly effective. However, expanding access for women and people with disabilities requires fair selection, ongoing support, and transparent reporting.

Senegal – Aligning jobs with growth. Senegal’s Emergency Program for Youth Employment has generated thousands of jobs since 2021. Researchers advocate integrating youth employment into the country’s Priority Action Plan and establishing a National Employment and Training Observatory to coordinate data and policy.

Niger – Tailored pathways. Niger’s review found that entrepreneurship support suits educated youth, while vocational training linked to local value chains benefits those without formal schooling. Continuous mentoring and regionalized training hubs are key to sustainability.

Kenya – Comprehensive models deliver. Kenya’s National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) program, which integrates training, credit, internships, and labor-market information, demonstrates that multi-dimensional approaches outperform single-focus schemes.

Uganda – Strengthening systems. Despite multiple programs, including the Youth Livelihood Fund and Presidential Skilling Initiative, Uganda’s review shows limited operational support and monitoring. Reforms should prioritize technical guidance, beneficiary training, and stronger compliance mechanisms.

South Africa – Tackling structural barriers. The country’s 31 youth employment programs show promise but are constrained by weak coordination, regulatory hurdles, and limited private-sector absorption. Streamlined frameworks and consistent monitoring can ensure resources translate into jobs.

What Works: Cross-Country Lessons

Across the ten reviews, five key lessons stand out.

1. Coordination multiplies impact. Fragmentation undermines efficiency. Countries like Ghana and Senegal show that centralized observatories or coordination units can harmonize programs, avoid duplication, and strengthen accountability.

2. Evaluation drives learning. Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Uganda demonstrate that systematic monitoring enables adaptive policymaking. Embedding data systems into program design ensures that what works is scaled—and what fails is redesigned.

3. Inclusion must be intentional. In nearly all countries, young women and vulnerable groups remain underrepresented. Ethiopia and Niger highlight that equity cannot be achieved without tailored interventions addressing gender norms, mobility barriers, and disability inclusion.

4. Skills must meet market needs. Aligning vocational and digital training with high-growth sectors—such as agribusiness, green energy, and technology—ensures sustainability. Rwanda’s and Kenya’s approaches exemplify this market-driven model.

5. Private-sector partnerships sustain progress. Youth employment thrives when business is engaged as a co-creator. Nigeria’s mentorship-based funding, Rwanda’s apprenticeship incentives, and South Africa’s Employment Tax Incentive all illustrate how public–private collaboration expands opportunity.

Which of these five lessons resonates most with your work in youth development? Please share your insights.

From Evidence to Prosperity

The What Works for Youth Employment in Africa initiative affirms that transformation requires both evidence and empathy—understanding young people’s lived realities while applying rigorous data to design effective policy. Local researchers have shown that youth employment is not merely a social issue but an economic strategy: when young Africans work, their nations prosper.

About the initiative: The “What Works for Youth Employment in Africa” program was implemented by the Partnership for Economic Policy in collaboration with local researchers and in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. The initiative strengthens evidence-informed policymaking to expand dignified and fulfilling work for young people across Africa.

A full repository of the country reviews, policy briefs, and related resources is now available at www.pep-net.org/programs/youth-employment. An edited volume of this work has also just been published by Routledge.

I encourage readers to explore the findings and share comments and insights that can help better translate evidence into action across the continent.