The Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, on Tuesday urged African governments to create more employment opportunities for young people in their countries.
Elumelu made the call in statement made available by the organisation in Lagos.
He said with the continent’s current challenges, it was critical for governments to be committed to creating more employment for “our young people”.
He said: “To address many of the challenges facing Africa today, none is more critical than the need to create employment for our young people.
“So many of African challenges revolve around this core issue.
“If Africans are to overcome the challenges that still confront us, our success must be shared by all and not just a few.”
According to Elumelu, European leaders are currently grappling with how to respond to the influx of African migrants and refugees into their countries.
He said there was currently an “African economic refugees” that often embark on perilous journeys to Europe.
Elumelu cited a study by Refuge Network International, an NGO, that there were about 40,000 illegal immigrants in Morocco from Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Francophone countries.
He decried the plight of Africans in Europe, adding that some even perished on the way due to lack of economic opportunities at home.
He therefore advised Europe, the international community and African institutions to redouble effort at eliminating incentives for people to leave their homeland in search of a better life elsewhere.
“The long-term answer is for us to improve living conditions and help create opportunities for a better quality of life in Africa,” the statement further quoted Elumelu as saying.
NAN.