Fredrick Obura
NAIROBI, KENYA: The government needs to create robust
policies to stimulate economic growth and create employment
opportunities especially for the youth who account for 78 per cent of
the...
population below the age of 35 in Kenya.
During a public lecture at the Aga Khan University, Dr Alex Awiti, Vice
Provost at Aga Khan University East Africa said that the country is not
creating enough economic opportunities for the young generation bearing
in mind that from a workforce and labour supply perspective, this is
the perfect demographic structure for prosperity.
“In the last 15 years, the country has experienced the fastest economic
growth prospects but during the same period, the country has also
experienced low numbers of decent job opportunities for the youth,
hence, the country is unable to tap into this demographic dividend,”
said Dr Awiti.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, formal sector jobs
grew from 2.03 million workers to 2.68 million between 2009 and 2016.
In the same period, informal sector workers grew from 8.68 million
workers to 13.3 million workers. About 83 per cent of Kenya’s 15.9
million workforce is in the informal sector, where jobs are ephemeral,
low paying and productivity is low.
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Recent
data from the Ministry of Education indicate that of the 1 million
young people entering the job market from universities and colleges
every year, only one out of five is likely to get a job in the formal
sector.
“We have a youthful generation who are currently the best educated in
the history of this country and the region. It is incumbent upon the
government and the private sector to collaborate and develop policies
and technological innovations that will spur the economic growth of the
country for the youth,” added Dr Awiti.
Some of the recommendations highlighted were the need to channel
resources in the areas that affect the youth the most such as investment
in the areas of education, health, security, water, and sanitation
services.
“Kenya’s industrial revolution must be on the precincts of the fourth
industrial revolution. The country needs to leverage and tap into the
digital opportunity available in the social sectors such as education,
health, security, water and sanitation which should be given the highest
priority because this is where the country will reap the greatest
dividend,” he added.
Dr. Awiti also underscored the important role of manufacturing in the economic growth and transformation of a country.
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“Manufacturing
is the greatest catalyst for the economic transformation of a nation
and the government should pay closer attention to this sector that has
been on the decline in the last decade. If we can get the manufacturing
sector on the right path, we can be able to turn the large youthful
population into a healthy, educated, skilled and economically empowered
workforce.”
The public lecture was organized by the Aga Khan University Medical
College and School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa as part of the
60th anniversary of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi (AKUHN).
The public lecture series have been running from October 2019 to
February 2020.
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