“Migration is not a problem to solve, but an opportunity to seize,” says Walter Kasempa, AU/IOM Migration Ambassador.
As the most mobile and fastest-growing demographic on the continent, youth are both drivers and beneficiaries of migration. Whether searching for opportunity, escaping conflict, or building cross-border networks, young people are shaping the present and future of African migration.
They are also at the forefront of innovation leveraging technology, advocacy, and entrepreneurship to create new pathways for social and economic inclusion. Seen through this lens, migration is not a crisis to manage, but a lever for growth and renewal.
Yet many remain undocumented, which limits their access to formal systems and sidelines them from participating fully in society. Without legal identity, they remain invisible to institutions and vulnerable to exclusion. Ensuring young Africans are counted, protected by effective policies, and equipped to participate in migration governance is not just about inclusion. It is a strategic investment in the continent’s future.
In a video message recorded on the sidelines of a regional workshop on legal identity and migration organized by the Economic Commission for Africa in Harare, Zimbabwe, Walter Kasempa, AU/IOM Migration Ambassador, called on young Africans to take an active role in shaping systems that affect their mobility and inclusion.
Mr Kasempa’s message reinforced a central point shared by many participants: migration governance must be rooted in inclusion, and legal identity is foundational to that goal.
Christian Oldiges, Chief of the Social Policy Section at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), underscored the role of youth in shaping migration policy.
“When young people see themselves as part of the solution, migration governance becomes not just inclusive, but transformative,” said Mr Oldiges. “Legal identity must be recognized as a governance tool for poverty reduction as well as a public good, key to accessing rights, services and protections that every person is entitled to, regardless of their migration status.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with a market of over 1.3 billion people, presents a major opportunity to boost intra-African mobility and economic growth. If fully implemented, it could help reduce the need for migration beyond the continent by enabling young people to move, work and innovate more freely within Africa.
The AfCFTA also provides a framework for retaining Africa’s talent. With better access to legal identity and mobility systems, young Africans can thrive as entrepreneurs, digital innovators, skilled professionals and business leaders within the continent. But realising this potential hinges on addressing the identity and governance gaps that still limit movement and access. Fixing these issues today is key to unlocking the continent’s future.
The Harare workshop, co-organized by ECA, the African Union and the International Organization for Migration, focused on improving legal identity and migration data systems. A practical toolkit was also validated to support national efforts.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
