Jakakimba pushes Kenya’s youth agenda at global Africa forum in New York

Kenya’s youthful population, economic transformation and Africa’s changing position in the global economy have come under renewed focus as influential African and global leaders converge in New York for the Unstoppable Africa forum.

The high-level gathering, organised by the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI) under the United Nations Global Compact, is being held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and brings together Heads of State, business executives, investors, policymakers, UN leaders, entrepreneurs and other key players.

Among the Kenyan voices at the forum is legal and policy expert Silas Jakakimba, who has participated in the GABI conversations for the past four years.

This year’s forum is taking place against the backdrop of a changing global economic landscape, with African countries seeking to move beyond the traditional role of exporting raw materials and positioning themselves as destinations for investment, innovation, manufacturing and value addition.

The discussions are centred on the theme “Powering Business to Scale Economies and Shape the Future,” with emphasis on how business and investment can accelerate economic growth across the continent.

For Jakakimba, the conversation has a direct connection to Kenya’s development ambitions.

He says Africa’s youthful population, natural resources and expanding markets present significant opportunities if effectively connected to investment, technology, entrepreneurship and value creation.

The challenge, he argues, is ensuring that Africa’s demographic growth translates into productive economic opportunities.

“Africa must harness its youthful population, abundant natural resources and rapidly expanding markets to become a global powerhouse for innovation, sustainability and inclusive growth,” he said.

Kenya, like many African economies, has a large youthful population whose future will increasingly be shaped by access to education, employment, entrepreneurship, technology and investment.

The discussions in New York therefore place the question of the African youth dividend at the centre of the continent’s economic transformation.

Jakakimba says the continent must create an environment where young Africans become creators of businesses, technology and solutions rather than remaining consumers or exporters of talent.

The conversations also touch on the need for stronger partnerships between governments and the private sector to unlock investment and expand opportunities.

A major thread running through the Unstoppable Africa discussions is Africa’s longstanding economic challenge of exporting raw commodities while importing finished products.

The emerging conversation is increasingly focused on value addition, industrialisation, digital transformation and African-owned enterprises capable of competing in global markets.

For Kenya, this has implications across sectors ranging from mining, Blue economy, agriculture and manufacturing to technology, financial services, infrastructure and the creative economy.

With Africa increasingly central to global conversations on markets, resources, demographics and innovation, the New York forum provides a platform for African leaders and businesses to engage international investors on where the continent goes next.

Jakakimba’s participation places a Kenyan perspective within that wider conversation — particularly on the intersection of youth, policy, investment and inclusive economic growth.

As global leaders gather for UNGA, one message emerging from the African business discussions is clear: the continent's economic future will increasingly depend not only on what Africa possesses, but on how effectively it converts its people, resources and ideas into sustainable value.

Silas Jakakimba is a Kenyan leader specialising in legal and policy advisory across the corporate and public sectors.