African youth, global wars: Opportunity for daily bread?

Africa has the youngest population in the world. More than 400 million young people in Africa are aged between the ages of 15 to 35 years. 

For instance, 70 per cent of the people in Sub-Saharan Africa are under the age of 30. Currently, 65 per cent of the population of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is under the age of 24 years.

The continent’s youthful population calls for increased investment in economic and social development initiatives to improve the development index of African nations.

The reason is that if these youth are empowered to realise their potential, it will catalyze the continent’s development.
Despite the opportunities, the youthful population of the continent presents the potential of the region’s young population not being fully harnessed due to limited opportunities.

Challenges such as high unemployment, widespread illiteracy and restricted access to basic social services prevail in most parts of the continent, rendering many of the region’s youth vulnerable to many social vices.

The problem is that, if this huge youthful population is left in a disadvantaged position, it could serve as a source of worry for the continent which others could easily take advantage of. In recent times, many regions in the developed world have turned to Africa to tap into the region’s youthful population for their own good. And because many of these youth are unemployed, they become the easy target.

Concerns

Many security experts have raised concerns that the growing unemployed youthful populations in Africa, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, could attract a lot of extremist groups and war recruitment agencies.

Extremist groups are particularly interested in such vulnerable populations because many are looking for opportunities.
Thus, these war recruiting agencies promise them money and many of these youth fight in wars they know nothing about, except for the promise of good wages.

For instance, there were reports that when the Russia-Ukraine war started, Kyiv was already attracting potential foreign fighters from as far away as Kenya. Many youth in West Africa also welcomed the news of fighting the war. Some considered the offer as an escape route to leave their countries for greener pastures.

The said recruitment compelled the Nigerian government to respond to the issue in a statement dated March 7, 2022.
It read: “The attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria has been drawn to an alleged ongoing registration of Nigerian volunteers into the fighting force of Ukraine at the Ukrainian Embassy in Abuja.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted the Embassy to verify the speculation. The Ukrainian Embassy refuted the allegation but confirmed that several Nigerians had approached the Embassy indicating their willingness to fight on the side of Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia. Furthermore, the Embassy clarified that the Ukrainian government was not admitting foreign volunteer fighters, and as such, dissociated itself from the claim that it was requesting $1,000 from each Nigerian volunteer for air ticket and visa.

“As a responsible member of the international community and consistent with our obligations under international law, Nigeria discourages the use of mercenaries anywhere in the world and will not tolerate the recruitment, in Nigeria, of Nigerians as mercenaries to fight in Ukraine or anywhere else in the world”.

“The Federal Government will continue to engage with the Embassy of Ukraine in Nigeria and other relevant authorities to prevent this possibility,” the Nigerian government responded to the speculations.

Similarly, on June 30, 2024, www.beninwebtv.com in a report titled “Mobilisation in Africa for the war in Ukraine: opinions and reactions” reported that since the Russian-Ukraine war started, Ukraine, for instance, has opened several new embassies in Africa, including Rwanda, DR Congo, Ivory Coast and Mauritania.

Some experts believe that this sudden interest in Africa by Western nations, including Ukraine was to tap into the region’s youthful population for their wars. The Ukrainian embassy in Abidjan was recently reported to have posted an advertisement for recruiting Ivorian volunteers to fight in Ukraine.

The said advertisement, which was widely circulated on social networks, came a month after the opening of the Ukrainian representative office in Abidjan and just days after a telephone conversation between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Ivorian counterpart Alassane Ouattara. The issue provoked a strong public reaction.

Even though Ukraine has denied the allegations, all these issues should stoke discussion on how African nations must be aware and aim at taking advantage of its youthful population.

If these foreign countries decide to pay good money to African youth, many of the youth, particularly those who are unemployed, are likely to welcome such offers.

This is because many developed economies are capitalising on Africa’s challenging socioeconomic conditions to lure African young fighters to their side. African nationals might see an economic opportunity from participating in this conflict.
This will risk the future of Africa in the long run.

African youth should not be involved in any distant geopolitical conflicts. These potential war mobilisations would only jeopardise the future of African youth in foreign lands.