Liberian President urges urgent youth inclusion reforms, linking justice and opportunity to the continent’s long-term stability
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA — Joseph Nyuma Boakai has delivered a stark message to African leaders, cautioning that sustainable peace across the continent is unattainable without justice, particularly for its rapidly growing youth population. Speaking as keynote speaker at the 34th Africa Peace Awards, the Liberian leader emphasized that the future of peace in Africa hinges on whether young people feel included, heard, and treated fairly.
“If the young people of our continent do not see justice, they will not believe in peace,” Boakai stated, underscoring the deep connection between governance, equity, and stability.
The President identified youth unemployment, widening inequality, and limited access to quality education as critical threats to long-term peace. He warned that failure to address these systemic challenges risks leaving millions of young Africans vulnerable to crime, conflict, and exploitation. Boakai argued that peace must be redefined beyond the absence of war, calling for a broader framework rooted in fairness, inclusion, and tangible opportunity. He urged African governments to move swiftly in integrating young people into national decision-making processes and development agendas.
Highlighting the urgency of reform, he called for strategic investments in education, leadership development, and youth-centered policies. According to him, such measures are essential to transforming Africa’s youth bulge into a driver of innovation and progress rather than a source of instability. His remarks come at a time when the continent faces mounting pressures from economic shocks, climate change, and migration crises, issues that disproportionately affect young populations.
Currently in the United States, Boakai also received a Peace Award during the ceremony, which he dedicated to the people of Liberia in recognition of their resilience in the aftermath of years of civil conflict. His address adds to a growing chorus of voices across Africa calling for youth inclusion to be treated not as a policy option, but as a fundamental condition for lasting peace.
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