The President of the Republic of Kenya, william rutoand African Development Bank (AfDB) President Akinwunmi Adesina on Sunday reaffirmed their position that the narrative of Africa as a poor continent must be reversed, insisting that the continent has the assets to address the global climate crisis.
Messrs Ruto and Adesina spoke at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi, Kenya, during an event to mark the end of a three-day African Youth Climate Assembly.
The event came ahead of the opening of the African Climate Summit scheduled for September 4-6 at the same venue.
Ruto and Akinwunmi Adesina at the Africa Youth Climate Assembly in Nairobi on Sunday Why the narrative must change
Ruto, receiving the statement from the representatives of the assembly, said that the greatest asset that the African continent has is the huge population of young people.
According to him, Africa currently has 25 percent of the global labor force and it is estimated that by 2050 that figure will increase to 40 percent.
He said the best way to make Africa the world’s destination for finding solutions to the challenge of climate change is to make young people count.
“As the greatest asset of this continent, young people can no longer be mere spectators in any conversation on climate change issues or rather on any development issue on the continent,” said Mr Ruto.
However, he insisted that it is wrong for anyone to continue the narrative that Africa is poor. He said it is time to rewrite that narrative, noting that it could only be achieved through the younger generation, who he says are great innovators in science, technology and media.
“Africa is not a poor continent, nor a continent of disease and poverty. Therefore, we must push for a new narrative of the African continent, and it is in our place to shape ourselves and our resources for the global reckoning,” he added.
Sign the carbon market law
Ruto said that as part of efforts to ensure the African continent properly profiles its resources, it “has just enacted the Kenya Carbon Market Act.”
He said the law is intended to properly shape the country’s carbon market and set its price at a global price value.
“Our carbon asset must be properly valued and priced,” the president said.
He said the carbon pool in the Congo Basin must be properly profiled and priced based on globally competitive ratings.
Africa needs investment in youth, not empowerment – Adesina
In response to some questions raised by youth forum participants, Adesina said she does not believe in the much-touted youth empowerment, but that massive investment in youth will bring about the magical change needed in Africa.
Adesina told the AfDB that youth is a huge factor, saying the financial institution has just announced a $1 billion Youth Adaptation Initiative.
The AfDB president said the assembly should count on him and President Ruto in their quest for recognition, pledging his desire to ensure that all continental institutions in Africa are encouraged to have a youth representative on board.
Earlier, the assembly had presented its declaration, which included the call for the creation of an office of the youth assembly by the United Nations (UN) and that the office should be domiciled in Africa as the continent with the largest population. youth.
They also said that they could no longer appear as spectators on climate change issues on the continent and that they would like to be brought to the tables where issues related to their future are discussed.
Conference participants came from different parts of Africa, including young climate change activists, young farmers, innovators and researchers.