By Ishmael Bayoh, Information Attaché, Sierra Leone Embassy, Dakar, Senegal His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has told Africa’s youth that the continent’s leaders owe them institutions that work, economies that include them, and a continent that refuses to waste them—not just speeches.
President Bio, who is also the Chairperson of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, was delivering a statement in Dakar on Monday, 20th April 2026, during the 10th Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa.
In his direct address to the youth of Africa, the President reassured them that every decision made in rooms about their future should be to make their lives better.
“To the young people of this continent — those in this hall and the millions who are not: You did not create the problems we are here to solve, but you will live with the consequences of whether we solve them. You are not our future. You are our present.”
He urged the forum to keep its promise and translate its dialogue into action, and its conclusions into measurable progress on the ground.
“Let the next decade of this Forum reflect an Africa that has chosen unity over fragmentation, institutions over instability, and peace rooted in justice over peace imposed by force. History will not judge this generation by the eloquence of our speeches; it will judge us by the courage of our commitments, and by whether the young people we spoke about today are better served by the decisions we make.”
Africa has the world’s youngest population, with over 60% of its inhabitants under the age of 25 and about 73% under 35. This demographic surge means that by 2050, 35% of the world’s youth will reside in Africa, presenting a massive opportunity for economic transformation.
