ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia has completed preparations to host the 3rd Africa Job Creation Forum 2025, which aims to catalyze large-scale employment across the continent, according to the Ministry of Labor and Skills (MoLS).
Speaking at a media briefing yesterday, MoLS Minister Muferiyat Kamil said the forum is uniquely positioned to advance structural transformation by harnessing Africa’s vast demographic dividend, untapped agricultural resources, and the growing momentum of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Organized in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the AfCFTA Secretariat, and the AeTrade Group, the forum will be held from July 7 to 9, 2025, in Addis Ababa under the theme: “Advancing Job Creation and Economic Resilience through Regional Integration, Digital and Financial Inclusion along Cultural Value Chains in the AfCFTA Market.”
Minister Muferiyat noted that the forum will serve as a vital platform for aligning policies, attracting investments, promoting innovation, and enhancing regional collaboration particularly in agricultural value chains, where some of the greatest opportunities for inclusive and sustainable job creation lie.
She emphasized that Africa’s young workforce represents not only an economic opportunity but also a critical factor in ensuring long-term social and political stability.
Digital and financial inclusion will be key priorities of the forum, as they are essential to equipping youth with the tools and access needed to participate fully in the economy. She said the forum is designed to shape a dynamic and inclusive future for Africa’s agricultural economy and to foster conditions that allow young people to thrive in an increasingly complex global environment.
Muferiyat highlighted the contributions of previous editions of the forum, which helped lay the groundwork for an African digital market system. This system, once fully implemented, will enable seamless trade between enterprises across the continent and is expected to create approximately 120 million jobs for African youth over the next 15 years.
The 2025 forum will bring together Africa’s leading policymakers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and business leaders to tackle the continent’s pressing employment challenges, with a focus on agricultural innovation and agro-industrialization.
Over 1,500 participants are expected to attend the event, which aims to drive transformation at the enterprise level and contribute meaningfully to job creation and economic resilience in Africa.
BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 5 JULY 2025
