African Youth Are Catalysts for Political Transformation, Highlights a New CFR Book

In The Age of Change: How Urban Youth Are Transforming African Politics, Michelle Gavin, the Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), explores “the dramatic change in digital connectivity in urban African settings, which enables new forms of political organizing and greater awareness of alternative models and experiences.” 

“Youth, urbanization, and digitization are changing the makeup of African societies and the way they engage in their political systems,” writes Gavin. “These factors are converging with another powerful trend that points to change: the diminishing potency of established political narratives in the region.”  

“Michelle’s book provides unique and deeply researched insights into ongoing, transformative shifts in the African political landscape that will impact the continent for years to come,” said CFR President Michael Froman.  

Gavin states that although Africans are not unique in their political and economic frustration, “they are unique in meeting this moment while their societies are dominated—to a staggering degree—by youth and by new urban majorities, persistently increasing the pressure on governments that are already underperforming.” 

Africa is experiencing an unprecedented surge in youth under twenty years old, intersecting with rapid urbanization, dramatically increased digital connectivity, and growing disillusionment with outdated political narratives. 

 Sustained continuity of African politics cannot withstand the increasing demands for change from the youth demographic, especially with the evolving digital political landscape. Through an overarching view of the continent, Gavin offers specific examples of youth driving change across Africa, from Zambia to Kenya. 

Underscoring the power of young Africans, Gavin asserts that their demands and concerns “will ultimately be the most important driver of policy choices in African capitals, not the competition among distant powers.” 

“The evidence that young Africans want to see transformational political change is undeniable, even as it manifests in different forms,” she writes. “For external powers that wish to build effective relationships with African states, political volatility will require serious changes to how they approach building bilateral relationships.” 

“The political future in the region will not look like the recent past,” Gavin concludes. “The worst thing the United States or others could do would be to express alarm at this prospect or continue to be shocked by change. A close second would be to treat the region as a backwater, showing interest in its natural resources but total disdain for the aspirations of its growing population.” 

Read more about The Age of Change and order your copy at cfr.org/book/age-change.

To request an interview with the author, please contact CFR Communications at [email protected].