Young, Ready, Excluded? The State of Youth and Governance in Africa

In this episode of The Africa Program, host Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with Cynthia Chigwenya, former African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace, about the realities facing Africa’s young majority and the governance structures that shape their lives. Drawing on her experience in regional institutions and youth movements, Chigwenya explains how unemployment, the digital divide, and inherited colonial-era systems continue to limit meaningful youth participation.The conversation explores why young people increasingly turn to informal activism—from #EndSARS to LUCHA—when formal political channels fail, and how gender, geography, and tradition deepen these divides. Chigwenya also reflects on navigating power as a young woman inside the AU and what genuine inclusion and accountability should look like.