Ethiopia, 15 October 2025 — The African Union Commission on Tuesday launched the Africa Skills Week in Addis Ababa at a ceremony attended by experts in various sectors across the continent.
The event focuses on developing skills, innovation, and technology to drive sustainable economic growth across the continent.
During the opening ceremony, the African Union Commission Chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, emphasized that Africa’s future depends on investing in youth and strengthening knowledge, technology, and innovation, which are crucial for industrialization and inclusive growth.
The ceremony also coincided with the release of the Continental Strategy 2025–2034, which aims to equip Africa’s youth with digital, green, and climate-smart skills to support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.
Africa Skills Week is an annual program led by the African Union that brings together educators, industry leaders, and youth to strengthen technical training, digital literacy, and green skills. The initiative highlights the importance of Africa’s young population — over 60 per cent of the continent’s people are under 25 — in building a technology-driven, innovative, and sustainable economic future.