Board chair of AGRA Hailemariam Desalegn says the challenge of climate change provides opportunities that can help create decent jobs for young people on the African continent.

Speaking at a side event during the ongoing 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, he said opportunities exist for young people in Africa to develop innovations that can help people on the continent adapt to climate change.

The session, organised by think tank ODI Global, was on the theme ‘creating the next generation of green jobs for growth and prosperity.

“Africa is a very young continent and so we need to make use of climate change to bring decent jobs to our young people. I think it is possible to do that if we properly invest in very innovative ways,” he said.

Mr Desalegn, who is also a former Ethiopian Prime Minister, says the youth can develop climate-smart seeds and digital technology to help African farmers deal with climate change.

“60% of global arable land is in Africa which has not been utilized. So, we can invest in agriculture in a modern, climate-smart way… And there are opportunities for digital input. Young people are very much versatile in digital technology and they can use precision agriculture to produce and export,” he said.

“I believe in our youth. They are very much innovative they are very creative and they can bring change. But the only thing is we have to give them access.

"I call on all political leadership and civil society leadership, as well as the global community to help our young people to unleash their potential and innovative power so that they can transform Africa,” he added.

Mr. Desalegn also called for efficient trading within the African continent, noting the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is one of the opportunities to do that.

“Farmers have a bumper harvest, then immediately the market falls. If we can't trade with each other and also export in an efficient way, then obviously there will not be any growth and progress in our agriculture sector. Trade is the most important tool to help integrate smallholder farmers into the global community and the national markets,” he said.

Prof. Dominic McVey, Director of ODI Global Advisory Board who moderated the session observed the benefits of the AfCFTA are being seen but more needs to be done.

“We're certainly seeing (progress) in the countries in Africa that can trade under AfCFTA. We are already seeing for the first time Ghana buying tea from Kenya, Ghana buying rice from Nigeria instead of Vietnam,” he said.

The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) has been described as a pivotal opportunity to accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis.

With global temperatures hitting record highs and extreme weather events affecting people around the globe, COP29 has brought together leaders from governments, businesses, and civil society to advance concrete solutions to the defining issue of climate change.

The conference is also a key moment for countries to present their updated national climate action plans under the Paris Agreement, which are due by early 2025.