Nana Adjoa Hackman Esq., Founder of Drive To Inspire Africa (DTI-A) and Executive Director of the Africa Prosperity Network (APN) Board, has called on African youth to seize the continent’s demographic advantage and leverage it for economic growth, innovation, and trade.
She made the call during the Youth Prosperity Dialogue, part of the ongoing 2026 Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD), held under the theme: “Empowering SMEs, Women, and Youth for the Single Market: Innovate, Collaborate, Trade” at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Thursday, 5th February, 2026.
Madam Hackman opened her address by engaging directly with the youth present. She recounted asking several young attendees about the most topical issues on their minds, receiving responses ranging from the treatment of international artist IShow Speed in Ghana, to the reduced sentence of Mama Pat (Agradaa), to the global Epstein files.
“It left me wondering which of these three is really the most pressing,” she said. Madam Hackman emphasized that while such topical debates capture attention, the more pressing concern for Africa’s youth lies in understanding and participating in economic frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
She drew attention to the AfCFTA protocol on women and youth, highlighting that although it has been adopted, it is yet to be ratified for implementation. “Why is a protocol that directly relates to the majority of Africa’s population not being ratified?” she questioned, urging both policymakers and young people to actively engage in shaping Africa’s economic future.
With over 60% of Africa’s population under the age of 25, Madam Hackman described Africa’s youth bulge as a unique and powerful opportunity, rather than a threat.
She noted that by 2050, one in three young people in the world will be African, emphasizing the immense potential of the continent’s youth to shape business, governance, and innovation. “That means power. That means a lot of power in your hands,” she said, calling on the youth to harness this potential strategically.
Madam Hackman further offered practical guidance to young people, urging them to be strategic and purposeful in their decision-making. She encouraged them to pursue opportunities deliberately, focusing on those that would foster personal growth.
Additionally, she emphasized the importance of exposing themselves to valuable networks, while recognizing that achieving success requires energy, discipline, and dynamism. “Whatever you do, I have no doubt that you will transform this amazing opportunity into unstoppable power,” Hackman further indicated.
