Lord Paul Boateng, a Member of the United Kingdom’s House of Lords, has called on African governments to place young people at the centre of national policy design and implementation.

Addressing participants at the KPMG 2026 Post-Budget Forum on Monday, November 17, themed “Resetting for Growth, Jobs and Economic Transformation”, Lord Boateng underscored the importance of stronger public-private partnerships to drive sustainable economic growth.

“The private and public sectors have to work effectively together. We must tackle issues of procurement and remove the obstacles to doing business. Our role as government is not to do everything, but to create an enabling environment that unlocks the natural enterprise within our people,” he said.

Lord Boateng emphasised that Africa’s youth must not only be trained but also supported with opportunities to thrive.

“We need to put the youth at the heart of our policymaking. That means we don’t just build their capacity but also provide them with employment and support their initiatives,” he added.

He maintained that repositioning young people at the centre of national development strategies is essential for growth, innovation and long-term economic transformation across the continent.