PR Times Africa

Day: June 15, 2026

South Sudan’s Youth Demand a Greater Voice in Building Peace and Shaping the Nation’s Future

South Sudan’s Youth Demand a Greater Voice in Building Peace and Shaping the Nation’s Future

As the country seeks lasting stability, young leaders are calling for stronger inclusion in governance, peacebuilding, and economic development.

JUBA, South Sudan — A growing movement among South Sudan’s youth is calling for greater representation in national decision-making, arguing that sustainable peace and development cannot be achieved without the active participation of the country’s largest demographic group.

That message resonated throughout the Third Annual Convention of the Central Equatoria State Youth Union, where more than 150 delegates, government officials, religious leaders, civil society representatives, and development partners gathered under the theme: “Youth are the Lead Actors for Sustainable Peace and Development.”

The three-day convention became more than a routine gathering. It served as a platform for young South Sudanese to discuss their role in overcoming years of conflict, political divisions, economic hardship, and social fragmentation that have challenged the world’s youngest nation since its independence.

“We must rise above communal differences to successfully claim our rightful place in building peace, unity, and democracy,” said newly elected Youth Union Chairperson, Aggrey Duku Arcangelo, reflecting the aspirations of a generation eager to move beyond the divisions of the past.

Throughout the forum, speakers emphasized that South Sudan’s future depends heavily on empowering young people through education, skills development, entrepreneurship, technology, and civic engagement.

Religious leaders urged youth to reject violence and become ambassadors of reconciliation. Government representatives reaffirmed commitments to expanding opportunities through vocational training, education, and digital innovation, while stressing the importance of dialogue over confrontation.

A key theme that emerged during the discussions was the importance of gender inclusion. Leaders argued that empowering young women is essential to achieving long-term peace, economic growth, and social transformation across South Sudan’s communities.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) also reinforced the need for youth participation at every level of society. Officials highlighted ongoing efforts to expand civic and political spaces, allowing young people to contribute meaningfully to conflict prevention, mediation, and community cohesion.

Participants further explored how technology can become a powerful tool for national development. Beyond communication, digital platforms were highlighted as instruments for job creation, entrepreneurship, combating misinformation, and fostering constructive public dialogue.

Closing the convention, Vice President James Wani Igga challenged young people to lead by example, urging them to place national interests above personal, ethnic, or political considerations.

The gathering concluded with the election of a new executive leadership team and renewed commitments to strengthening youth engagement in governance, peacebuilding, and economic development.

As South Sudan continues its journey toward stability, the convention underscored a growing reality: the country’s future will largely be shaped by whether its young people are viewed not merely as beneficiaries of peace, but as architects of it

June 15, 2026
Zimbabwe Bets on Data-Driven Agriculture as It Prepares for Landmark National Census

Zimbabwe Bets on Data-Driven Agriculture as It Prepares for Landmark National Census

FAO-backed initiative strengthens statistical expertise to improve food security, agricultural planning, and rural development.

HARARE : As Zimbabwe prepares for its first-ever National Agricultural Census, the country is investing heavily in a resource often overlooked in agricultural development: data.

In partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT), and the Ministry of Agriculture, Zimbabwe has completed an intensive two-week training programme aimed at strengthening the country’s capacity to collect, manage, and analyze agricultural data using STATA, one of the world’s leading statistical software platforms.

The initiative reflects a broader shift toward evidence-based policymaking at a time when African governments are increasingly seeking reliable data to address food security challenges, improve agricultural productivity, and guide public investment.

“Reliable statistics are the foundation of effective agricultural policy,” FAO officials noted, emphasizing that stronger analytical capacity will enable Zimbabwe to better understand farming systems, monitor productivity, and design programes that respond to the realities faced by farmers.

The training brought together government analysts, statisticians, and monitoring specialists, equipping them with practical skills to transform raw agricultural data into actionable insights. Participants worked with real Zimbabwean datasets, learning techniques ranging from data cleaning and validation to advanced statistical analysis and reporting.

The programe arrives at a critical moment for Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector. Preparations are underway for the country’s first comprehensive National Agricultural Census, an ambitious undertaking designed to establish a detailed baseline of agricultural holdings, production systems, and rural development indicators nationwide.

Officials say the census will provide policymakers with the information needed to make smarter decisions on food security, rural development, resource allocation, and agricultural investment.

For a country where agriculture remains central to livelihoods and economic growth, strengthening statistical capacity is increasingly viewed as a strategic investment. By improving how data is analyzed and applied, Zimbabwe hopes to ensure that future agricultural policies are guided not by assumptions, but by evidence.

As African nations confront the twin challenges of food insecurity and climate change, Zimbabwe’s focus on building stronger agricultural data systems could serve as a model for evidence-driven development across the continent.

June 15, 2026
Africa’s Largest Economy at a Crossroads: Why Nigeria, ECOWAS and the African Union Must Focus on Security Before Politics

Africa’s Largest Economy at a Crossroads: Why Nigeria, ECOWAS and the African Union Must Focus on Security Before Politics

As Nigeria confronts mounting security challenges and the continued loss of military personnel, regional institutions and national leaders must prioritize stability, security cooperation, and economic resilience over political distractions that risk diverting attention from the continent’s most pressing threats.

Nigeria stands today at a defining moment not only for its own future but for that of West Africa and the African continent. As Africa’s largest economy and most populous democracy, Nigeria’s stability is inseparable from regional prosperity, investor confidence, democratic governance, and collective security across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU).

When Nigeria succeeds, West Africa advances. When Nigeria struggles, the consequences are felt far beyond its borders.

It is against this backdrop that recent efforts by the Nigerian Senate to summon former NNPC Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, have generated intense public debate. While accountability and transparency remain essential pillars of democratic governance, many Nigerians and regional observers are increasingly asking whether the nation’s political leadership is focusing its attention on the challenges that matter most at this critical time.

Across the country, insecurity continues to threaten lives, livelihoods, and national development. From insurgent activities in the North-East to banditry in the North-West, communal clashes in the Middle Belt, and criminal networks operating across various regions, millions of Nigerians continue to live under the shadow of uncertainty.

Even more alarming is the continued sacrifice of Nigeria’s military personnel. The deaths of senior officers, commanders, and courageous soldiers in active operations serve as a painful reminder that the country remains engaged in an ongoing battle for peace and stability. These are not merely statistics; they are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, and patriots who have paid the ultimate price in service to their nation.

In such circumstances, many citizens believe that national attention should be directed toward strengthening security architecture, improving intelligence gathering, enhancing military welfare, modernizing defense capabilities, and supporting the men and women risking their lives to protect the nation.

This is not an argument against accountability. No democratic society can thrive without transparency and oversight. Public officials must always remain accountable to the people and the institutions of the state. However, accountability must not become a substitute for governance, nor should it overshadow urgent national priorities.

The debate surrounding Mele Kyari deserves a balanced and objective perspective. During his tenure as Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and later as Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Nigeria’s petroleum industry underwent one of the most challenging periods in its history.

Kyari’s administration navigated the unprecedented global economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, fluctuating crude oil prices, geopolitical uncertainties, and a rapidly changing global energy landscape. Under his leadership, significant reforms were introduced to improve operational efficiency, attract investment, increase transparency, and facilitate the implementation of key provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act.

Like every public servant, his record may be subject to scrutiny and evaluation. However, such assessments should be conducted through established legal and institutional processes, guided by evidence and due process rather than political optics.

The greater challenge before Nigeria today is not the legacy of a former public official; it is the urgent need to secure lives, protect communities, and restore public confidence in the state’s capacity to guarantee safety and stability.

The Nigerian Senate possesses both the constitutional authority and moral responsibility to lead conversations that address the nation’s most pressing concerns. Nigerians expect lawmakers to demand answers about security failures, evaluate defense strategies, strengthen oversight of security spending, and champion reforms capable of producing measurable results.

Beyond Nigeria, ECOWAS and the African Union must also recognize that insecurity within Africa’s largest economy carries regional implications. Terrorism, arms trafficking, organized crime, and cross-border insecurity do not respect national boundaries. A weakened Nigeria inevitably affects the wider West African region.

This is why stronger cooperation between Nigeria, ECOWAS, and the African Union is more important than ever. Regional intelligence sharing, joint security operations, economic resilience initiatives, and coordinated responses to emerging threats must become central pillars of Africa’s collective security framework.

Across the continent, successful nations have demonstrated that progress is achieved when leaders remain focused on solving present challenges while building stronger institutions for the future. Political accountability and national security should complement one another not compete for attention.

As Africa watches its largest democracy navigate this critical period, there is a growing expectation that leaders will rise above partisan distractions and focus on the issues that directly affect ordinary citizens. Security remains the foundation upon which economic growth, foreign investment, food security, education, healthcare, and social development depend.

The question before Nigeria’s leaders is therefore not whether accountability should exist it must. The real question is whether the pursuit of past controversies should overshadow the urgent responsibility of addressing present dangers.

History rarely remembers leaders for the investigations they launched. It remembers them for the crises they solved, the lives they protected, and the legacy of stability they left behind.

For Nigeria, for ECOWAS, and for the African Union, the path forward is clear. Security must come first. Stability must remain the priority. Politics can wait.

The future of Africa’s largest economy and the stability of an entire region may depend on it.

June 15, 2026