ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Africa's policymakers, experts and enterprises have called for a youth-driven approach to cultivate inclusive and sustainable digital ecosystems across the continent.
The call was made during the 2026 African Union Innovation Festival, which opened on Tuesday at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.
Prudence Ngwenya, director of the women, gender, and youth directorate at the AU Commission, highlighted the critical importance of capitalizing on Africa's youthful demographic potential, the continent's largest demographic group and its greatest innovation asset.
She called on young African innovators to dream big, noting that the continent's future rests in their hands.
"Innovation is not only about brilliant ideas; it is also about people; it is about creating relationships; it is about creating an ecosystem and ideas. An idea can become a solution, a solution can become an enterprise, and enterprises create opportunities for others," Ngwenya added.
AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy Lerato Dorothy Mataboge called for concerted efforts to address several constraints that are hindering African youth from effectively championing the continent's digital transformation ambition. These barriers include limited access to finance, infrastructure and skills gaps, regulatory constraints, and uneven connectivity.
"We need to place young Africans at the center of the continent's digital transformation, and set out what turns that asset into outcomes: innovation ecosystems, digital skills, strategic investment and enabling policy," she said.
According to the AU, the festival seeks to bridge existing gaps by creating a platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, policy dialogue, and innovation showcase, placing young people at the center of Africa's digital agenda.
As the AU's premier continental platform for youth innovation ecosystem, this year's high-level gathering brings together decision-makers, private sector leaders, youth representatives, experts, and innovators under the overarching theme "Vibrant Youth Ecosystems for AI and Digital Sovereignty." ■