Africa is the youngest continent on Earth – with over 60% of its population under 25. But here’s the crisis no one’s ignoring anymore: Every year, about 11 million young Africans enter the workforce, hungry for opportunity. That’s according to the African Development Bank. And what’s waiting for them? Just 3 million formal jobs. That’s over 7 million dreams deferred – year after year after year. This demands more than just talk. It demands leaders who can rewire education, economies, and policies to turn potential into power. So tonight, we’re putting the continent’s most pressing questions on trial – from education reform to trade, marginalized voices, and health systems.

As the Africa Leadership and Dialogue Institute, we partnered with the convener, Uongozi Institute, to curate dialogue aligned with the theme “Realising sustainable development goals in Africa: progress and way forward”, and the 4 key pillars: (i) poverty eradication and economic growth (ii) health and well-being, (iii) education and skills development, and (iv) environmental sustainability and climate action.

We sat down with a few guests on the sidelines of the just concluded Africa Leadership Forum – to understand who holds the keys to real inclusive growth?