African Development Bank chief joins global push to turn youth into economic powerhouse

United States of America, October 14, 2025/ -- African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) President Dr Sidi Ould Tah on Monday joined global leaders on the World Bank Group’s High-Level Advisory Council on Jobs, championing Africa’s demographic dividend and the drive for youth employment. 

Invited by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, Dr Ould Tah participated in the Council’s meeting held on the sidelines of the 2025 World Bank Group and IMF Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C. The Council brings together heads of international financial institutions, ministers, and business executives to create jobs through impactful investments. 

As he marks the halfway point of his first 100 days in office, Dr Ould Tah’s participation underscores the African Development Bank’s strong commitment to putting jobs, youth, and opportunity at the centre of Africa’s transformation agenda. 

“Africa’s youth are not a burden to manage; they are the engine of our continent’s future,” Dr Ould Tah said. “We need to invest in the right skills, formalise the informal economy, and back MSMEs at scale.” 

This year’s Jobs Council focused on?tourism?and?skilling?-- two sectors where Africa holds vast untapped potential. Tourism already supports one in 20 jobs across the continent, with strong participation by women and youth. However, more than 80% of these workers remain in the informal sector without social protection, access to finance, or career pathways. Meanwhile, the persistent mismatch between education and training systems and labour market needs continues to limit young Africans’ access to gainful and productive employment. 

The Bank Group’s president highlighted the Bank’s growing portfolio of initiatives to accelerate job creation, including its Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy, which has mobilised over?$105 billion?in financing and is projected to generate?19 million jobs by end-2025. The Bank Group has also developed the Youth, Skills and Jobs Marker System, a new tool for tracking job quality and inclusion in Bank-financed projects. 

He also shared lessons from the Bank’s work in supporting tourism-driven micro, small and medium enterprise ecosystems and deploying digital-first skilling programs that are bridging workforce gaps. 

Dr Ould Tah’s participation in the Council forms part of a series of high-level engagements during the Annual Meetings, including bilateral discussions with ministers, development partners, and corporate leaders. These interactions reflect his?Four Cardinal Points?strategic priorities -- mobilising capital at scale, unifying markets, industrialising locally,?and?investing in talent and technology?-- as the blueprint for Africa’s economic transformation.

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