Africa’s demographic future: UNFPA calls for major investment in human capital

On November 3, 2026, in Plateau, UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita urged governments to make Africa’s population growth a driver of development through sustained investment in health, education and employment. She also identified gender equality and access to economic opportunities as priorities, including helping young people find work and enabling women to participate fully in development. Côte d’Ivoire’s Senate vice-president, N’dohi Yapi Raymond, recalled initiatives on maternal and reproductive health, family planning and women’s rights, including the 2019 law on women’s representation in elected assemblies. Woï Mela Gaston, representing the National Assembly, called for demographic data to be better reflected in budget decisions and legislative reforms.