The Chief Executive of Rlg Communications, Roland Agambire has observed that the issue of youth unemployment in most African countries is so complex, sensitive and yet thorny. To surmount this challenge, it requires a concerted, multifaceted and deep rooted approach, he noted. He said while the reduction or elimination of the phenomenon will require a non-partisan collaboration between governments, the private sector and the youth themselves, a firm demonstration of commitment by the international community will also ensure threats to peaceful socio-political atmosphere in many African countries, especially the emerging economies are not guaranteed. Mr Agambire told a panel discussion at a regional workshop on youth employment in Abuja, Nigeria that African youth no longer deserve lip service. The workshop was organized by the World Bank group made up of the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). The two-day regional workshop was attended by government officials, private sector representatives, donors, civil society, international organizations and operational staff of the bank from Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, the Gambia and Liberia who shared experiences and best practices in creating opportunities for youth employment and raising productivity through improvements in human capital dimensions and business environment. It was on the theme “Learning from past experiences for future opportunities in youth employment in West Africa”. The workshop also discussed issues related to youth employment as well as the findings of a recently completed evaluation by the Independent Evaluation Group on World Bank’s Youth Employment Programs, the World Development Report on Jobs and the IFC’s Jobs Report. Mr Agambire whose company pioneered the assembling and repair of computers and mobile phones in sub-Sahara Africa using young people said in most countries on the continent, laws favour importation of goods to the detriment of local manufacturing, a situation he described as regrettable. “African economies must not be allowed to be run and dictated by imported goods and services. We fail to create jobs this way but we all know that job is the only thing that dignifies a person,” he told the panel discussion. He said after almost two decades of being an entrepreneur, he has come to the conviction that trade and vocation can industrialize the continent. He commended the governments of West African countries for “doing what they can to reduce youth unemployment in the sub region”. A Senior Investment Officer at IFC Headquarters in Washington, Gravette Brown urged African governments to continue the task of facilitating job creation mechanisms for the private sector and called for tax reforms as well as adequate training for SMEs. The discussion was chaired by President of Ghana’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry and former Member of Parliament for Nkawkaw, Seth Adjei Baah who complained bitterly about the continuous pilling of taxes on the private sector by governments. The workshop was opened by the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly.