Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is advocating for a visa-free Africa, aiming to enable young people to move and collaborate freely across the continent without facing restrictive visa requirements.
Closing the YouthConnekt Africa Summit 2023 in Nairobi at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Gachagua emphasized the potential of the youth to overcome challenges and drive cross-border development.
Quoting the Deputy President, he expressed confidence in the younger generation, stating, “We have tremendous confidence in our young people.
In a myriad of problems in the world, we as a continent deliberately choose to put our future, and the solutions to our challenges, to our young people assembled here today and in the rest of Africa.
We know in this continent, in your hands we are safe.”
Gachagua highlighted President William Ruto’s commitment to transforming Africa into a visa-free continent, fostering the exchange of ideas, technology, and culture among the youth.
Emphasizing the role of technology in facilitating connections, he noted that the Summit successfully brought young people closer together.
“We live in an age where borders are becoming more and more irrelevant.
Thus, technology allows us to connect and collaborate across countries and continents.
This presents a unique opportunity for the youth of Africa to rise to the occasion, to be designers of our shared future,” Gachagua remarked.
The Deputy President explained that President Ruto, who inaugurated the Summit, is actively championing a borderless Africa by advocating for a visa-free continent.
The Summit’s theme, “Youth Innovating a Borderless African Renaissance,” resonates deeply with Kenya’s vision.
Expressing gratitude to Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba and his team for organizing the successful event, Gachagua recalled being impressed by the passion and commitment displayed by the youth during the 2022 Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, prompting him to request Kenya to host this year’s event.
With over 20,000 youth from various African countries participating in the 6th Edition of the Summit, Gachagua urged the youth to unleash their creativity, making Africa a hub of innovation to address unemployment and nurture talent.
He advocated for investments in the youth and their empowerment, recognizing them as the future leaders of Africa.
“The youth are the future leaders of Africa. We have faith and trust in you.
The challenges we face are vast and complex, from Climate Change and unemployment to poverty, and inequality, among others.
But within these challenges, lie opportunities.
Opportunities for innovation, for entrepreneurship and for social change,” he stated.
Encouraging the youth to align their innovations with the interests of partners and the government, Gachagua pledged support in championing their dreams and propelling them to their full potential for a prosperous Africa.
In his closing remarks, he commended the African youth for embracing technological change and urged them to take their place in innovation across various sectors of leadership.
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