The young and restless: Does the budget offer solutions to their challenges

A survey titled the African Youth Survey 2022 carried out in fifteen countries by Ichikowitz Family Foundation found out that the majority of young people in Africa aged between 18-24 were not optimistic about the current and future prospects of their countries or the continent. That survey found out that in one country an overwhelmingly 95 per cent of these young people thought that their country was headed in the wrong direction, with only youths in two countries exceeding fifty percent of those who think that their countries are headed in the right direction.

With the direction of the continent, the picture is even more pessimistic where those who exceeded fifty per cent of youths who expressed positive feelings about the direction of the continent were found in only one country; in the rest of the countries involved in the survey the majority of youths thought their continent was headed in the wrong direction.

The BBC, reflecting this survey, spoke to several young people within the same age group, and an eighteen year old, Ayoade Oni from Nigeria, was quoted as saying most of his friends, “90 per cent if not all of them” were intent on moving to other countries outside of Africa. Other studies have pointed out that by 2030, that is less than a decade away, young African are expected to make up 42 per cent of the world’s youth and an overwhelmingly seventy five per cent of those under the age of 35. However, these young people want out!

The African Youth Survey found out that, to address the many challenges these young people face, governments should prioritise, among other things, the creation modern job, reduce corruption, improve quality of education, increase access to basic needs and services, support innovation, ease of doing business, embrace technological innovation, address climate change, increase trans-national mobility of Africans, universal access to internet, etc.

Tanzania is a young and very restless country in terms of its demographics. The majority of its population belongs to youths with a median age of a teenager. While the African Youth Survey did not include Tanzania, the issues and challenges facing the young people in the countries surveyed largely mirror those faced by young people in the country.

Ministerial budgets have ongoing parliamentary session in Dodoma. The issues young people say should be addressed to improve their livelihoods and their future on the continent fall under education, health and agriculture. There are discussions about reforming the education sector, with some arguing that it is too outdated and should be completely overhauled. Did the minister address the issues facing these young people? Could they trust him enough to bet their future on what he presented to parliamentarians in Dodoma?

The systemic failures of our education have gone hand in hand with the lack of faith in it for those who make decisions and design policies. Few of them have sent their children to the same schools as the majority of poor people. Given a chance or an opportunity to switch schools, the majority would do it in a heartbeat. Even the discussion about the language of instruction has come to be a matter of class, where those at the margins of the society are suspicious of using Kiswahili to educate their children will put them at a disadvantage in the competitive job market industry. What of the innovations? Did the minister manage to catch the attention of these young people?

It is the same story with the health sector. While progress has been made in terms of extending the networks of health services in many rural areas around the country, it is still difficult to find those who are well-off or better connected being treated in these health facilities.

Surprisingly, the minister for agriculture made a decent shot at trying to improve the lives of farmers in his budget. However, while this remains the biggest employer around the country, it is not on the top choices of young people. Even those who say they were educated because of peasantry agriculture once they have succeeded in life do not go back to agriculture.

The government’s entire budget is being debated in Dodoma with some parliamentarians pointing out that the funds for youths and women and other marginalised groups is not anywhere near enough to address their economic challenges. There is little about spurring innovation. There is little about addressing climate change issues. When they listened to the finance minister table the government’s budget, did these young and restless people hear him address their concerns? Were there any solutions to their challenges? Did they hear him invest in them?

There were some exciting ideas for sure but it is unlikely he convinced a majority of them to stay put. That will require a whole different mindset for those in charge.