Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, May 16, 2018 – The African Development Bank has announced the appointment of Yana Kakar to the Presidential Youth Advisory Group, which provides insights and innovative solutions for creating jobs for Africa’s youth. 

The African Development Bank’s Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy, which outlines the Group’s objectives, is the largest effort for youth employment in Africa today, and aims to create 25 million jobs and benefit 50 million youth over the next decade by equipping them with the right skills to get decent, meaningful jobs. 

Speaking during the 6th EU-Africa Business Forum in Abidjan in November 2017 during the inauguration of the Group, African Development Bank Group President Akinwumi Adesina observed, “This is a huge opportunity for Africa. If we fix the youth unemployment challenge, annual growth in Africa will rise 10%-20%. That means Africa’s GDP will grow by US $500 billion per year for the next 30 years and per capita income will rise by 55% every year to the year 2050.” 

Yana Kakar is the Global Managing Partner of Dalberg Advisors, a leading strategy advisory firm dedicated to inclusive growth and social impact. She leads the global partnership and oversees activities across Dalberg Advisors’ 20 offices worldwide. Expressing her appreciation at being appointed, she said, “It is an honor to join the Presidential Youth Advisory Group. I am proud to have supported the President and his team in the creation of the Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy. This is both a personal passion of mine and core to Dalberg’s mission. With the largest footprint in Africa among the top global strategy firms, we at Dalberg live our commitment to youth on the continent every day – and we are better off for it. This is the message we must carry to leaders in government and business alike: creating opportunity for youth in Africa creates value for the world.” 

Yana Kakar, a Canadian national, is the tenth member of the Presidential Youth Advisory Group, joining Clarisse Iribagiza, CEO of Hehe, Rwanda; Uzodinma Iweala,  Author and Doctor, Nigeria; Jeremy Johnson, Co-Founder of Andela, USA; Vanessa Moungar, Director for the Gender, Women, and Civil Society Department at the African Development Bank and Chadian national; Monica Musonda, CEO of Java Foods, Zambia; Francine Muyumba, President of the Panafrican Youth Union, Democratic Republic of Congo; Ada Osakwe, CEO of Agrolay Ventures, Nigeria; Group Chair Ashish Thakkar, CEO of Mara Group, Uganda; and; Mamadou Touré, Founder and CEO of Africa 2.0/Ubuntu Capital, Cameroon.

Media contacts: Olivia Ndong Obiang, Principal Communication Officer, African Development Bank, o.ndong-obiang@afdb.org 
Anja Tranovich, Communications Lead, Dalberg, communications@dalberg.com 

About Dalberg Advisors 
Dalberg Advisors is a strategy advisory firm combining the best of private sector strategy skills and rigorous analytical capabilities with deep knowledge and networks across emerging and frontier markets. We work collaboratively across the public, private and philanthropic sectors to fuel inclusive growth and help clients achieve their goals. www.dalberg.com
 

About the African Development Bank Group

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 44 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states.

For more information: www.afdb.org