The BusinessDay Foundation on Friday hosted a virtual dialogue titled “Beyond Borders: Young Voices, Global Choices,” as part of activities to mark International Youth Day.
The one-hour conversation, held via Zoom, brought together youth advocates and development leaders to discuss how young Africans are shaping influence locally and positioning themselves in global conversations.
In her welcome remark, Lily Adiemefe, Executive Director of the Foundation, emphasised that youth participation must be seen as a strategic investment in Africa’s growth. She stressed that young people should not be regarded only as “leaders of tomorrow” but as active contributors already driving change.
“We are still up against borders, borders that are not only geographic but also ideological, borders that say youth should wait their turn. You are not the leaders of tomorrow. You are already leading, right from where you are,” she told participants.
The panel featured three speakers: Jennifer Soba Pearse, Founder of Give Back Nigeria; Abraham Durosawo, Vice President at the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA); and Ellen Ukpi, Director, Marketing, Branding and Communications, Junior Achievement Africa.
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Durosawo highlighted how African innovators are increasingly part of global conversations, particularly in technology and entrepreneurship. He stressed the importance of designing solutions with global applicability rather than limiting them to national or regional contexts. “We need to start thinking about global solutions rather than Nigerian and African solutions,” he said.
On access to finance, Durosawo disclosed that the federal government is working with the NSIA and the African Development Bank (AfDB) to establish a youth investment bank backed by a $100 million fund. He encouraged young entrepreneurs to actively seek opportunities.
Pearse focused on grassroots activism, describing young people as the “powerhouse” of society with the energy and ideas to drive social change. She drew from her experience with Give Back Nigeria to show how local community outreaches aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can scale into global impact. “It starts with that commitment. It starts with a little impact,” she said, warning that history never forgets those that didn’t act.”
Ukpi, in her contribution, examined the role of narrative and technology in amplifying African voices. She argued that Africa’s story has for too long been told by outsiders, calling for young people to take ownership of their narratives and shift attention from stories of poverty to those of resilience and innovation. “The story belongs to who tells it,” she said.
She added that digital platforms provide opportunities to bypass traditional borders and join global conversations, but lasting change would depend on bridging “intergenerational borders.” “We must leverage the wisdom of those who came before us while preparing those who will follow,” she said.
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Across the panel, a common message emerged: young Africans must match rhetoric with action, leveraging finance, technology, and collective storytelling to extend their influence beyond borders.
The dialogue ended with a consensus that Africa’s youth are not simply leaders in waiting but actors already shaping the continent’s future.
