Africa Up Close

Youth unemployment has increasingly become a threat to stability and peace in Sub-Saharan Africa, as the recent positive economic growth observed in many African countries did not stimulate job growth opportunities for younger generations. In late January 2014, Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Dakar-based think tank IPAR invited 100 policymakers, researchers, NGOs and representatives of youth organizations to participate in an international conference entitled “Putting youth to work in Sub‐Saharan Africa” to reflect and share perspectives on policy options to tackle the issue of youth unemployment. This conference was hosted in partnership with the WAEMU Commission, the African Development Bank, the Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP), and OECD.  While Africa is a very diverse continent, it was evident that the issue of youth unemployment arises almost everywhere. This article will analyze the case of Senegal to better understand how this issue may affect stability in the country.

By Ibrahima Hathie, Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale, Senegal and Benedict Yiyugsah, Center for Democratic Development, Ghana

This research paper is part of The Wilson Center’s Africa Program and Leadership Project 2012 Southern Voices in the Northern Policy Debate Initiative, supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York

I. Introduction

Agriculture plays a key role in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The agricultural sector, which accounts for 30% of GDP, is an important source of export earnings and remains the major sector absorbing the growing labor force^[i].  60% of the economically active population works in the agricultural sector. As a result, agriculture could be a driver for economic growth and poverty reduction.  In the rural sector, on-farm activities continue to provide the main share of household incomes and most farm households grow staple foods and are self-sufficient. In spite of this central role, Sub-Saharan Africa’s agricultural sector has not overcome its food supply challenges.  The level of rural poverty is still alarming and the region has to cope with adverse agricultural policies initiated in the North. Meanwhile energy and food security issues have taken center stage in light of the recent food price spike.