The Ghana Scholarly Society (GSS), an academic think tank that focuses on Africa’s development is calling for full participation in the upcoming conference slated for the 18th to 20th of June 2025 at Aston Business School, Birmingham, UK.

The International Conference on African Development (ICAD) 2025, in collaboration with the British Council, will bring together expert academics, researchers, and professionals to discuss and propose solutions to one of Africa’s most pressing challenges: youth unemployment.

Sequel to the maiden conference held at the Norcroft Centre of the University of Bradford, UK, in June 2024, this year’s conference, themed Sustainable Development and Youth Employment in Africa: Challenges and Way Forward, echoes the need to address youth unemployment in Africa to avert the imminent danger.

Last year’s conference was successful with the active participation of over one hundred researchers, academics, and industry experts from India, Japan, Finland, Portugal, Canada, France, Ghana, and the UK who presented on “the pathway to achieving the sustainable development goals”. This year’s theme has been carefully chosen to represent the aspirations of many governments across the African continent – tackling youth unemployment.

Across Africa, with Ghana as a key example, the teeming youths have become disillusioned, giving in to social vices, including unprovoked attacks on innocent persons and property for lack of jobs. These behaviours portend grave danger for the continent, demonstrating how the unemployed youths can harness their innate power to frustrate governments and make the peaceful continent of Africa anarchic.

“Issues of youth unemployment have become extremely concerning, an urgent priority that needs attention, especially as hundreds of thousands of young people enter the job market yearly in search for non-existing jobs that align with their skills and ambitions”, Dr Kweku Adams, president and founder of the Ghana Scholarly Society expressed thoughts on the relevance of this year’s conference theme.

Through blended presentations and engaging discussions, ICAD 2025 aims to explore practical solutions to the unemployment challenge, seeking to contribute to central governments’ efforts at addressing the problem. This conference reinforces the belief that African academics and industry professionals can work to support African countries in realising the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 8, while promoting inclusive growth and prosperity for the citizens of Africa.

ICAD 2025 is not just about the confluence of critical minds, it presents a platform for meaningful discussions and engagements that lead to actionable outcomes. Conference attendees will be thrilled to witness keynote speeches and presentations by distinguished professors, diplomats, businessmen and professionals who have a deep understanding of employment and labour dynamics.

Additionally, there will be engaging panel discussions focusing on innovative solutions to youth unemployment, and an exciting opportunity for networking and collaborations.
Submission and Participation Details

This is an all-Africa conference and scholars, researchers, and professionals with a focus on Africa or sustainable development are all invited to share their work, connect with like-minded peers, and contribute to shaping Africa’s future.

Prospective participants from all over the world who wish to attend and be part of this impactful conference, ICAD 2025, may submit their abstracts through www.ghscholars.com.

This is a unique opportunity to share your research, gain valuable feedback, and contribute to shaping Africa’s future through ICAD 2025 to be held at the Aston Business School, Birmingham, UK.