President John Dramani Mahama has urged young people across Africa and the global African diaspora to take ownership of the continent’s future by embracing innovation, integrity and purposeful leadership.

Speaking to young people in Jamaica, Ghana, Africa and the wider African diaspora, President Mahama said the youth represent the generation that will define the next chapter of Africa’s shared history.

He noted that while young Africans have inherited the courage and resilience of their ancestors, they also have access to opportunities that previous generations could hardly have imagined.

“Permit me to conclude by speaking directly to the young people of Jamaica, Ghana, Africa and the global African diaspora. Our youth are the generation that will define the next chapter of our shared history.

"Our youth are the generation that will define the next chapter of our shared history. Our youth have inherited the courage of our ancestors, but they also possess opportunities that our ancestors could scarcely have imagined,” he said.

According to him, advancements in technology, increased access to knowledge and the growth of innovation have created new possibilities for young Africans to contribute meaningfully to development.

He encouraged young people to become solution-builders by creating enterprises, leveraging technology to address societal challenges and working across national and cultural boundaries.

“Dream boldly, lead with integrity, innovate with purpose, build enterprises that create jobs, use technology to solve problems and serve your communities with compassion,” President Mahama advised.

He stressed that young people should never underestimate their capacity to influence change in their countries, across the continent and globally.

President Mahama further argued that the responsibility of leaders is to create an environment where young people's ambitions can thrive through quality education, equal opportunities, democratic governance, innovation and shared prosperity.

“If we succeed, the descendants of Africa will not merely have participated in shaping our future, they will have participated in leading it,” he said.