The President and CEO of Junior Achievement (JA) Africa, Mrs. Simi Nwogugu, has called for urgent action to empower Africa’s youth, particularly young girls, to take charge of the continent’s future.

She stressed that Africa must solve its own problems, as the days of relying on foreign aid and donors are fading.

Mrs. Nwogugu made these remarks at the graduation ceremony of the Leadership, Empowerment, Achievement, and Development (LEAD) Camp, where 52 young girls from seven African countries successfully completed an intensive leadership and skills development programme in Accra.

The week-long camp, sponsored by Delta Air Lines and organised by JA Africa, brought together girls from Ghana, Eswatini, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to equip them with leadership, entrepreneurship, and advocacy skills.

The programme focused on building confidence, fostering innovation, and inspiring the girls to become change-makers in their communities.

Mrs. Nwogugu pointed to the unfolding spectacle of aid withdrawal and cancellation particularly by the United States of America, saying the support the continent once relied on may no longer be available, and that the responsibility now falls on the youth—particularly the empowered girls—to dream big, create solutions, and shape the future.

She emphasised that Africa cannot reach its full potential if half of its people are ignored and their energies and resourcefulness go untapped.

She urged the young girls to rise to the challenge, explaining that while Africa can no longer rely on donors to do everything, it also can no longer rely on men only to do it all, and argued that 50 percent of the population cannot bear the full weight of progress and therefore must be a collective effort.

Drawing inspiration from biblical teachings, she reminded the young graduates that they were created to lead and make an impact, saying God created all humans in His image, and the Bible confirms that Male and Female he made them.

She said that very nature of God as a creator and captured in Genesis 1:27, also makes the girls creators, and that everything they need to succeed is already on this earth.

She also referenced Queen Esther’s story from the bible, urging the young women to use their voices boldly and never remain silent in the face of challenges.

Ultimately, JA Africa plans that the campaign will train 10 Million African Girls, (10MAG) and equip them with the skills to live holistic and meaningful lives. The 10MAG was launched at the graduation ceremony.

The inspired graduates outlined a number of programmes they plan to develop and roll out either in their schools or in their communities to engender change and to address existing challenges.