SYPALA 2026: Youthful population can become dividend or danger – Brigitte Dzogbenuku

By: Godbless Asaana
‎The Founder and Executive Director of Mentoring Women Ghana (MWG), Brigitte Dzogbenuku, has said the youthful population can become either a major advantage or a serious threat to a country, depending on how effectively young people are educated.
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‎Speaking at SYPALA 2026 on Monday, August 24, Dzogbenuku said Africa’s growing youth population must be treated as an opportunity for national development rather than a source of instability.

SYPALA 2026 brought together students, young professionals, academics, entrepreneurs and policymakers under the theme “Africa’s Ascent: Forging Resilient Economies and Inclusive Governance.”
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‎“Youthful population can become a dividend or a danger, depending on whether the people are educated, employed, included, and trusted with responsibilities,” the speaker said.
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‎According to her, the issue of Africa’s future is closely linked to leadership, particularly who leads, how they lead, and whether they are prepared to take responsibility for the development of their countries.
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‎“That is why the question of African ancestors is also a question of who leads, how they lead, and whether they are prepared to lead this country,” she stated.
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‎Dzogbenuku further urged young Africans to aspire to leadership positions and play a greater role in shaping their countries’ future.
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‎“Indeed, we should be striving to take up leadership of our country as a whole,” the speaker said.
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‎She also called for a generational shift in leadership, arguing that younger people should not remain trapped by the experiences and bitterness of past generations.
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‎“We should move on from the bitterness and pain of two disasters in our past that our parents and grandparents went through because we didn’t live those,” she added.