African youth at the heart of debate for the 2017 AU-EU summit in Abidjan

COLEACP has started the journey towards Abidjan AU-EU summit next week. Yesterday, amongst a sea of promises, political speeches, COLEACP brought a fresh and new voice of reality from Africa’s youth into the heart of the European Parliament to the “High level conference towards a renewed partnership for Africa”.

Ms Khadija Niang, “spokesperson” for the young Africans working in agriculture, told her story, shared her struggle for recognised qualifications and training so that she may secure a successful career in horticulture at home in Senegal.

Khadija’s story and plea is not unique. She is one of many promising young talents being mentored by COLEACP across the African Union. All of them wishing to access adapted training which is well tuned into the needs of agri-businesses in Africa.

Interestingly, the same plea was echoed in the panel speeches and recommendations from the representatives of the EU and African private sector, who realise that without well qualified human resources, sustainability and competitiveness will not be feasible.

This is the message which COLEACP will bring to the European African Business Forum next Monday in Abidjan and to the Leadership for Agriculture forum ,Tuesday 28th November, organised on by the African Development Bank & Rockefeller Foundation.

Guy Stinglhamber

COLEACP General Delegate