CONCEPT NOTE
2nd Africa Rural Development Forum
8 - 10 September 2016, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Transforming Africa’s Rural Areas through Skills Development,
Job Creation and Youth Economic Empowerment
BACKGROUND
The 26th Session of the African Union Summit and the 20th AU Assembly decision, endorsed the African Rural
Development Forum (ARDF) as the continental platform for innovative thinking on African development pathways. This
led to the organization of the Inaugural Africa Rural Development Forum (ARDF) by the New Partnership for Africa
Development Agency (NEPAD) in collaboration with Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA), the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). The
Forum was hosted by the Republic of Benin in May, 2013 under the theme “Sustainable Rural Transformation Agenda
for Africa”.
The key outcome of the 1st ARDF was the adoption of the “Cotonou Declaration on Rural Futures” to support the
structural transformation of the continent and guide its possible development pathways through several key overarching
principles, namely:
i. Promote inclusive and empowering people-centred development;
ii. Adopt a multi-sectorial approach;
iii. Foster place-based strategies and territorial development;
iv. Improve the knowledge base to inform context-specific policies;
v. Connect the economic, social, environmental and political dimensions of development.
Furthermore the Cotonou Declaration called for the elaboration of a blueprint to be submitted to the African Heads of
State that could pave the way for a shared commitment to implement actions at the country and regional level toward
the revitalization of rural areas. The draft NEPAD Rural Development Blue print for Africa is a key document that will be
validated at the 2nd Africa Rural Development Forum for the adoption of Heads of State and Government of the African
Union.
The purpose of the Rural Futures Programme as a multi-sectoral approach for advancing rural transformation across Africa
is to facilitate new thinking and reach broad agreement with respect to the vision, strategies and plans for accelerated
and sustainable development in order to address the challenges of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. The Programme
is based on the understanding that rural economy is a vital component for structural change. It encompasses a broader
understanding of the interrelationships between economic, social, environmental and political factors for advancing
rural transformation and takes into account the roles of different stakeholders working in a transparent and collaborative
approach. It also supports practical measures for the development of the continent, particularly addressing the issues of
skills development, job creation and decentralisation.
In order to sustain the momentum and to take stock of the progress achieved, the NEPAD Agency with the support and
in collaboration with AFD, OECD, CIRAD and other partners including FAO, GIZ, IFAD, CTA, UNEP, ILO and UNECA
will host the 2nd Africa Rural Development Forum in Yaoundé, Cameroon from the 8 to 10 September, 2016
The Forum was prepared by an experts meeting on “Rural and Regional Policies for Sustainable and Inclusive
Development in Africa” (NEPAD-OECD-AFD-CIRAD) held in Paris on 30 March 2016. The meeting reached the
agreement that innovative approaches that take into account territorial dimensions and build upon local dynamics are
required to achieve the structural transformation of rural areas and to provide decent jobs and opportunities for young
people.
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THE 2ND AFRICA RURAL DEVELOPMENT FORUM
CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION
Although increased attention has been paid to the continent’s fast urbanization process, Africa’s population remains
predominantly rural, with 6 out of 10 people living in rural areas (UN, 2014). More importantly, the slow pace of Africa’s
demographic transition implies that this rural population will keep growing for the next decades. By 2050, it is expected to
increase by more than 50 percent, reaching 1 billion people (UN, 2014). Such demographic trends have consequences
for the economic fabric, environmental quality and public service provision in both rural and urban areas. They give
rural areas a critical role in Africa’s structural transformation characterised by the incipient diversification of national
economies, particularly in small scale agriculture. Rural development, structural transformation of Africa economies
and ways to unlock the potential of these areas must remain a priority. This should translate into a focus on aligning
employment policies with growth and development agendas as the continent shifts overtime from agrarian to urban
industrial societies. However, it is important to recognize that the most significant social and economic opportunities for
the youth still lie in the nexus between rural and urban dynamics.
It follows therefore, that value-addition and manufacturing job opportunities for youth are more likely to be in ‘rural
industrialization’ policies and investments that improve the capacity of youth to produce and supply both urban and rural
markets with value-added and better quality products and services. Governments ought to be looking at policies that
improve rural infrastructure not only to better connect markets, but also allow flow of small and intermediate technologies
that improve rural labour productivity especially for women and youth across the board in terms of rural economy, farming,
natural resource development, artisanal mining, cultural and heritage industries, tourism and hospitality industries etc.
In the context of youth employment and its attendant dynamics (rural development, farming systems and agriculture
food markets, food consumption both domestically and internationally; rural development and agribusiness), especially
in Africa, agricultural development along the value chain offers one of the opportunities to create the best impetus for
engaging emerging African youth for inclusive growth in Africa. Targeted capacity building on youth entrepreneurship
and youth empowerment is required to ensure that private sector skills gaps are addressed, and that through youth
empowerment initiatives, the necessary intangible aspects such as leadership abilities, personal development and other
life skills training are improved.
Therefore, the linkages between population dynamics, spatial and sectorial specificities and inclusive and sustainable
development have to be fostered. This objective can be achieved through multi-sectoral, place-based and participatory
approaches feeding the strategy design.
THEME
The 2nd Africa Rural Development Forum will be held under the theme “Transforming Africa’s Rural Areas through Skills
Development, Job Creation and Youth Economic Empowerment.” Specifically, the Conference will provide a platform for
exchange and peer learning on experiences and insights in catalysing and fostering job creation and skills development
in rural based agri- and non-agri-systems as key components to advance rural development.
This will be premised under the following rural economic paradigm based on
• The central role and responsibility of the state in leading the vision and creating a conducive policy and legal environment;
• Catalysing the food and agriculture system;
• Stimulating growth of rural non-farm economies and strengthening rural-urban linkages;
• Building and sustaining the rural human capital base;
• Building institutions for rural transformation;
• Ensuring political will as the over-riding mover of rural transformation in Africa.
OBJECTIVES OF THE CONFERENCE
The objectives of the 2nd Africa Rural Development Forum are:
1. To raise awareness of the magnitude of the challenges that Africa shall face in coming decades; as well as the need
for transformational development strategies based on multi-sectoral, place-based and participatory approaches, for job
creation;
2. To review and share lessons on available tools and methodologies for designing and implementing multi-sectoral,
place-based, and participatory strategies and projects for youth economic empowerment;
3. To share field experiences, skills development, job creation and youth economic empowerment in the rural
transformation drive in Africa;
4. To endorse the outcome document of Africa Rural Transformation called the NEPAD Blue print of Africa Rural
Transformation.
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The format of the Forum is designed to achieve such objectives with:
• Inputs that will lead to a stock taking of current challenges and opportunities to achieve rural transformation for youth
employment and empowerment. This includes a new edition of the Atlas on the “New Emerging Rural World” as well
as a synthesis report on youth and women employment policies in Africa;
• Thematic sessions structured to share knowledge and available tools and methodologies on the four sub-themes as
listed below;
i. Place-based, multi-sectoral, participatory national development policies, strategies and institutions to advance
African rural development;
ii. Sectoral policies and conditions (hard and soft infrastructure) for job creation including ICT in rural areas of Africa;
iii. Rural Finance and Youth Empowerment;
iv. Skills, training, empowerment in formal and informal sector for youth economic empowerment;
v. Green economy and job creation in advancing rural development in Africa.
EXPECTED RESULTS
The expected results of the conference include:
i. A validated Blue print for African Rural Development. The Blue print as the main Conference outcome will go through
relevant African Union organs for adoption as the main blue print for rural development in Africa;
ii. Key knowledge products from key thematic presentations and sub-themes to advance African knowledge and
information on rural development, skills development and youth economic empowerment with practical thematic
experiences from Africa and other parts of the world;
iii. Space for partnership and experience sharing and innovative approaches on rural development, territorial planning,
skills development;
iv. Exchange of knowledge.
VENUE AND DATE
The date and venue are from the 8 – 10 September 2016 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
PARTICIPANTS
The Conference is open to all interested. The following are expected to participate: Member States representation at
various levels including Ministers, experts, civil society including youth and private sector, development partners and
local authorities.
LANGUAGE
All plenary and break-away sessions will have English-French simultaneous translation.
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