The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has rallied world leaders, policymakers, and development partners to invest in skilling young people in order to curb unemployment.
Tayebwa made the call over the weekend while addressing over 400 global delegates at the ongoing week-long 63rd Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) – European Union Parliamentary Assembly that commenced on 19 June 2023 in the Belgium capital, Brussels.
Citing Uganda’s youngest population in the world currently, with over 70% below 30 years of age, and educated, Tayebwa observed the biggest challenge is employment opportunities, noting that investing more in technical programs will empower the youth to be job creators rather than job seekers.
From the current 45 million, Uganda’s population is projected to reach 75 million by 2040.
Tayebwa added that increased investments in young people will equally have a ripple effect on productivity and, in turn, increase their purchasing power as opposed to spending billions of dollars on conflicts and arms.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Population Fund – UNFPA argues that world governments should continue to invest in the health of the population.
UNFPA reasons that smaller family sizes improve maternal health, which further improves child health, as well as increases women’s labor force participation, hence contributing to economic growth.
