Defining Youth in Africa
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I have taken the liberty to write this article as a follow-up to
my previous posting here about Youth and with the hope that it
will stimulate discussions especially among policy makers.
The question of who a youth is has increasingly become a source
of concern to young people especially those of us in Africa.
While some communities define youth in the chronological sense,
others define it in terms of youthful orientation and thinking-
which is often referred to as being youth at heart or love for
youth, still others define in terms of energy and enthusiasm.
But who actually is a youth?
Based on my training in Educational Psychology and from recent
inputs to my online survey, I will like to take the following
position.
A youth in chronological terms is a young person under the age
of 30 but not less than 15 years. This position is based on the
medial point from definitions in National Youth Policies I re-
ceived during this period from around Africa. Other defining
factors include; financial and psychological independence, age
of graduation from school, marital status, social status, em-
ployment and intelligence. Since many individuals acquire these
at difference ages based on many factors, it will be a wise po-
sition to define youth based on an age mark that represents the
average age at which young people achieve all these.
On the average, youth in Africa acquire these at age 28 compared
to their contemporaries in the developed world who may be pursu-
ing a PhD or have their own families. The educational system is
a great contributor. I am 23 now, in the final year of my first
degree, I will at the end of my school year wait for one year to
get posted for national service and then spend one year in na-
tional service, then I will be 26. The job search follows. Yet
at the age of 23, there are many people who are yet to gain ad-
mission into University or college. The national youth service
says 30 is the bench mark for participation. This means they en-
dorse 30 as a youth. I have taken the position of 15 and not
less in order to give room to late matures and adjustment to
adolescent development- social, intellectual, emotional and
physiological.
Why the effort to do all this analysis? There seems not to be a
uniform position in terms of defining youth in the international
community and the African youth suffers most from this short
fall. Organisations and individuals often adjust the age to suit
their interest and purpose, while Youth in the African sense are
denied the opportunity to participate in decision making proc-
esses and international meetings. I am uncertain if the United
Nations can for the sake of African youth adjust the age bracket
for youth to 30, or leave Africa as a special area in the aspect
of defining youth, based on their peculiar circumstances. Age
definition for youth of the north and south should not be meas-
ured in the same terms since the north has some advantages over
the south. Most importantly, African leaders need to take a sin-
gle position on this matter, and the African Union has the pow-
ers to effectively achieve this. Youth in African cannot just be
15 24 and I think 18-35 is outrageous. 15-30 represents the
real youth.
I look forward to any comments, criticisms and inputs to this
position. Please mailto:dabesaki@yahoo.com
Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima
Mobile: +234-8055182526
PO Box 448 Woji 500007 Port Harcourt, Nigeria
mailto:dabesaki@yahoo.com
http://www.dabesaki.freeservers.com
In the fight against HIV/AIDS, the Youth hold the key!