The Youth Cafe is developing its first iteration of the African Youth Development Index (AYDI) 2024, focusing on youth development in the continent. The relentless spirit of African youth has inspired this initiative and aims to provide an in-depth assessment of the youth's progress, challenges, and success stories. The AYDI 2024 showcases a keen focus on areas such as education, health, employment, civic participation, and environmental engagement.

Why Your Story Matters: Submit Your Story to Feature in the Index
We believe every young person’s story is powerful and can inspire change. Your experiences and insights are invaluable in helping us create a comprehensive and authentic picture of youth development across Africa. By sharing your story related to one of these domains, you contribute to a collective narrative that will inform and shape policies, programs, and initiatives to improve young people's lives.

For Participating Youth: Youth aged 15-35 from any African country with experience or interest in one or more of the following domains: Education and Skills, Health and Well-being, Employment and Opportunity, Participation and Engagement, Equity and Inclusion, Peace and Security, Environment and Climate Change, and African Values and Identity are eligible to participate. Similarly, Youth Organizations with a youth-focused mission, based in Africa or with substantial African youth programs, and expertise or active initiatives in one or more listed domains are eligible to contribute and provide feedback. Share your story now.

The AYDI seeks to serve as a significant point of reference for policymakers and stakeholders by capturing the aspirations and real issues of the youth in Africa. This report shows the areas that need targeted interventions to foster an inclusive and prosperous society for young people. The African youth population is rapidly growing, this is a ground basis for why a development index is needed. TYC development index will track the development progress across eight domains, providing valuable insights into the level of progress in the selected countries. This article shares a glimpse of what is to be expected from the full AYDI 2024 report later this year, by highlighting key indicators, comparative rankings, and the impact of this index on Africa’s youth development agenda. 

In crafting the AYDI 2024, The Youth Cafe draws inspiration from established frameworks like the Commonwealth Global Youth Development Index 2023 and the ASEAN Youth Development Index 2022. The Commonwealth YDI provides a global perspective of youth development in 186 countries including 50 of the 56 Commonwealth countries. It offers a significant view of how African countries are performing on the global stage. The ASEAN YDI is a regional development index report focusing on South East Asia. The ASEAN YDI employs a multidimensional approach analysis to assess the youth development in South East Asia, the AYDI 2024 aims to incorporate this approach in providing a broader understanding of youth progress in the continent. By referencing these two indices, The Youth Cafe aims to ensure that the AYDI 2024 aligns with global standards, while also adapting to the unique context of Africa. Structure and Purpose 

The AYDI 2024 provides a comprehensive report on the most pressing issues for African youth by measuring the performance of eight critical domains and their indicators. The eight domains were chosen as per the survey The Youth Cafe conducted on African youth and these were developed from  the responses received. Have your voice heard, take part in the survey.

The domains include; Education and Skills, Health and Well-Being, Employment and Opportunity, Participation and Engagement, Equity and Inclusion, Peace and Security, Environment and Climate Change, and African Values and Identity. The report draws insights and data from regional and global sources such as the African youth, stakeholders, the United Nations databases, the African Union, and youth-focused NGOs.

It has utilized stratified sampling in selected countries across the five regions in the continent. The selected countries include Kenya and Uganda from East Africa, South Africa and Botswana from Southern Africa, Nigeria and Ghana from West Africa, Egypt and Morocco from North Africa, and The Democratic Republic of Congo from Central Africa. 

The AYDI aims to highlight past achievements and inform future policy decisions by providing a detailed comparison of youth development across countries and regions. It utilizes the Commonwealth Global Youth Development Index score by assigning a development score between 0 and 1. A score of 0 represents the lowest level of youth development, while 1 indicates the highest. This method helps to identify areas of success and opportunities for improvement.

Key Domains of the AYDI 2024 

1. Education and Skills- This domain entails key indicators such as youth literacy rates, gross enrollment in tertiary education, and the level of digital literacy. It provides an emphasis on how access to skill training and higher education are critical factors in youth development. 

2. Health and Well-being- This domain evaluates the health aspects of African youth by analyzing indicators like access to healthcare services, mental health prevalence, substance use prevalence, and HIV and AIDS prevalence. 

3. Employment and Opportunity- The domain looks at unemployment rates, access to vocational training, and entrepreneurship opportunities for the youth as well as their ability to transition from education to stable employment. 

4. Participation and Engagement- This domain provides an overview of civic engagement and political participation including voter turnout among the youth and their involvement in the decision-making processes in the continent. 

5. Equity and Inclusion- It addresses the disparities in access to resources, the domain covers gender parity, the inclusion of marginalized youth, and the access to social, economic, and political services by the youth. 

6. Peace and Security- This domain evaluates youth exposure to violence, safety, and their involvement in peacebuilding activities. 

7. Environment and Climate Change- The domain offers an analysis of the youth's participation in environmental initiatives and their exposure to climate-related disasters such as drought and floods.

8. African Values and Identity- The final domain addresses youth awareness of African cultural heritage, participation in traditional practices, and youth connection to Pan-Africanism. 

   Insights and Findings 

Key findings from the Commonwealth Global Youth Development 2023 Report on our selected countries show Morocco as the best-performing country in the AYDI group. Morocco ranks 82 globally and 17 among the Commonwealth nations, with a strong YDI score of 0.750. This performance showcases the contrary’s commitment to improving youth development. 

Egypt and Ghana follow closely with a YDI score of 0.733 and 0.721 respectively. These countries have made significant improvements in youth development by investing in education and economic empowerment. 

South Africa, Botswana, and Kenya performed similarly with YDI scores of 0.675, 0.674, and 0.673 respectively. These countries have made significant strides in youth development but it is critical to point out the challenges the youth face in these countries such as access to resources and employment opportunities. 

Uganda and Nigeria show moderate levels of youth development with YDI scores of 0.659 and 0.616. The youth in these countries are faced with challenges such as unemployment and access to quality education and health services. 

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has a YDI score of 0.613 and a global rank of 174. The DRC faces significant challenges, including political instability, limited access to education, and poor health services for its youth.

Conclusion 

The African Youth Development Index (AYDI) 2024, is a significant tool in assessing youth development across the continent. The Youth Cafe seeks to craft this index by drawing from established frameworks such as the Commonwealth Global Youth Development Index and the ASEAN Youth Development Index. The AYDI sets to align with global standards as well as tailor a unique development index to pinpoint the progress of youth development. 

The initial findings highlight the promising progress and critical challenges. Countries like Morocco, Ghana, and Egypt show progress in areas like youth education, health, and economic empowerment. However, countries like Uganda, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo indicate hurdles, particularly in youth employment, education, and healthcare access. 

As the AYDI 2024 continues to develop, it will serve as a strategic tool for policymakers, stakeholders, and youth advocates to analyze the different areas that need targeted interventions and enhance an inclusive environment for young Africans to thrive. This index aims to not only reflect the present state of youth development in Africa but also set a benchmark for future progress, driving the continent towards an equitable and progressing future for its growing youth population. Get involved now!