Ideas of young people in Africa not respected

Wisdom of elders deemed crucial
In Namibia, 51% of the respondents are of the view that listening to the wisdom of elders is important in order for the country to do well.
Phillepus Uusiku
    - 2022-08-23 00:00:00
Even though the youth might have new fresh ideas on how socio-economic challenges can be addressed, Africans in general, and Namibians in particular, believe it is important to listen to the wisdom of elders.
This was revealed in the latest Afrobarometer surveys in 34 African countries.
According to the survey, the 34-country average for (listen to the wisdom of the elders) stood at 57%, while (listen to fresh ideas of young people) scored 38%.
This implies that almost six in 10 respondents (57%) – including 54% of youth – agree or strongly agree that in order for their country to do well, governments should listen more to the wisdom of elders.
In Namibia, 51% of the respondents are of the view that listening to the wisdom of elders is important compared to listening to the ideas of young people (46%).
Among the 34 countries surveyed between late 2019 and 2021, Tunisia (71%), Morocco (67%), South Africa (56%), Lesotho (56%), Botswana (53%), and Cameroon (51%) are the only countries where a majority of respondents prioritise ideas from the youth.
Education
Younger Africans have made substantial gains in terms of educational achievement, but they still face huge gaps in paid employment, making job creation the most critical issue on the youth agenda.
The survey further found that average young Africans are more educated than their elders. A majority (62%) of 18- to 35-year-olds have at least some secondary school, compared to 46% and 31%, respectively, of the middle and senior age brackets.
However, African youth are also considerably more likely than their elders to be out of work and looking for a job (34% of youth vs. 22% of 36- to 55-year-olds and 12% of those above age 55.
Moreover, only a minority of Africans say their governments are doing a good job of meeting the needs of youth (28%), creating jobs (21%), and addressing educational needs (46%).
Lastly, the youth are less likely than older citizens to have voted in the last national election (63% among the youth vs. 83% among those over age 55), attended a community meeting (55% vs. 67%), gotten together with others to raise an issue (51% vs. 60%), and contacted leaders during the previous 12 months, the survey found. [email protected]