PIDA focuses on creating jobs through infrastructure

During the first-ever Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) Week, at the AfDB headquarters in Abidjan, a session was held on ‘PIDA Creating Jobs for Africa’s Youth.’ The session concluded by emphasising that the time to resolve unemployment in Africa is now.

The panel highlighted the ways in which infrastructure development could be implemented in a way that creates opportunities for employment for Africa’s growing youth. Sunita Pitamber, AfDB’s Director for Human Development, pointed out that the infrastructure sector offers considerable job opportunities for youths, and that the Bank had already created 8 million jobs through infrastructure development, and had trained 5.5 million youths in the area. Encouraging youth start-up projects in areas such as renewable energy and ICT, and investing in them are good examples through which much-needed jobs can be created, along with a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Ibrahim Mayaki, NEPAD Agency’s Chief Executive Officer, said policies that accelerate development of Africa’s regional infrastructure are key because they will trigger industrialisation, and “industrialisation is the main creator of jobs,” he said. He went on to emphasise the need for inclusive policies that address the needs of youth, presenting them as a prerequisite for political stability.

Ahmadou Aly Mbaye, Dean of the School of Economic and Management Sciences at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal, stressed the importance of ensuring that Africa’s economy absorbed both skilled and unskilled labour.

Adapted from press release by Rebecca Bowden

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/africa-middle-east/24112015/pida-focuses-on-creating-jobs-through-infrastructure-58/