Africa is often described as the world’s youngest continent, with about 60 percent of its population under the age of 25 and a large cohort aged 15–35. According to the United Nations’ World Population Prospects, this youthful profile has been cast as a potential engine of growth, a demographic dividend that could lift incomes and spur expansion.
But demographics are not destiny.
“Africa’s youth is not an asset as we think. "It's a time bomb if we keep lying to them,” says Ibrahim Bah, founder of Africa Bank of Diaspora. “It’s time to sto
