Experts: Why youth unemployment is a time bomb
What you need to know:
- Experts now urge the government to prioritize addressing this challenge to prevent potential social unrest among young people.
Dar es Salaam. As Tanzania prepares for its upcoming assessment under the voluntary Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) program, concerns have been raised over the country's persistent issue of youth unemployment.
Experts now urge the government to prioritize addressing this challenge to prevent potential social unrest among young people.
The last APRM report, issued in 2013, highlighted unemployment as a critical issue requiring urgent attention.
However, subsequent efforts to implement recommendations have fallen short, contributing to a growing cohort of unemployed youth.
It was against such a background that those who spoke in Dar es Salaam on Thursday, July 11, 2024, during a sensitization workshop organized by Repoa in collaboration with the South Africa Institute on International Affairs (SAIIA) said stressed on the need to address youth unemployment.
"The issue of youth employment is a ticking time bomb for Tanzania. Without effective solutions, it threatens the stability and peace we have enjoyed for many years," said the Director of the Information Center for Citizens (TCIB), Mr Deus Kibamba.
He cited recent protests in Kenya and other African countries as examples of the social unrest that can stem from high youth unemployment rates.
He further underscored the urgency of addressing the increasing number of graduates and school leavers who enter the job market each year without viable employment prospects.
Head of Program for African Government and Diplomacy at SAIIA, Mr Steven Gruzd, stressed the importance of African countries implementing recommendations from APRM evaluations to achieve positive outcomes.
Tanzania's APRM Executive Secretary, Mr Lamau Mpolo, reaffirmed the country's commitment to the voluntary evaluation process, emphasizing its role in promoting good governance and sustainable economic development.
The upcoming APRM assessment presents an opportunity for Tanzania to critically evaluate its strategies for youth employment and implement effective policies that could mitigate the socio-economic challenges posed by unemployment.
