The evolution of African National Youth Policies

The document examines the evolution of National Youth Policies (NYPs) in Africa, noting a steep increase in adoption that peaked in 2020. While these policies frequently address education, employment, and health, they often neglect youth political participation and face significant implementation gaps. Adoption is driven more by political and institutional factors, such as democracy and administrative capacity, than by demographic needs.

• There has been a significant increase in the adoption of national youth policies across Africa between 1990 and 2022, peaking in 2020 when 40 countries had an active policy. By 2022, 44 African countries had an active, identifiable youth policy, while ten did not.
• National Youth Policies (NYPs) primarily focus on human capital development, specifically education and employment, followed by health. More recent policies have expanded to include security concerns, gender equality, and gender-based violence (GBV), but they largely ignore youth political participation.
• The adoption of NYPs is not predicted by the size of a country's youth population or its secondary school completion rates. Instead, adoption is more likely in states with greater administrative capacity and in democracies, where youth have more opportunities to pressure governments.
• While many countries have adopted NYPs, there is a lack of continuity and a gap between policy formulation and delivery. Some countries, such as Senegal and Guinea, let their policies lapse by 2022, and many others suffer from limited budget allocations and weak interministerial coordination.
• African NYPs frequently align with regional and international frameworks. The African Union’s African Youth Charter (2006) was particularly influential, and more recent policies often reference the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
• Youth involvement in the creation of NYPs is inconsistent. In countries like Cabo Verde, Rwanda, and Gambia, consultation involved youth associations or councils, whereas in Senegal, Niger, and the Central African Republic, policies were primarily drafted by government officials.

APA

Sakor, B. Z., & Nordås, R. (2025). The evolution of African National Youth Policies. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/98195593-1694-4c9d-97a0-390f008f1ca3/PRIO Policy Brief 9 - 2025.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Sakor, Bintu Zahara, and Ragnhild Nordås. The evolution of African National Youth Policies. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2025. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/98195593-1694-4c9d-97a0-390f008f1ca3/PRIO Policy Brief 9 - 2025.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sakor |first1=Bintu Zahara |last2=Nordås |first2=Ragnhild |title=The evolution of African National Youth Policies |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=September 2025 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/98195593-1694-4c9d-97a0-390f008f1ca3/PRIO Policy Brief 9 - 2025.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sakor2025evolution, author = {Sakor, Bintu Zahara and Nordås, Ragnhild}, title = {{The evolution of African National Youth Policies}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/98195593-1694-4c9d-97a0-390f008f1ca3/PRIO Policy Brief 9 - 2025.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }