(MENAFN- News.Africa-Wire) WASHINGTON, D.C., United States of America, October 14, 2025/ -- African Development Bank Group () President Dr Sidi Ould Tah on Monday joined global leaders on the World Bank Group’s High-Level Advisory Council on Jobs, championing Afri’a’s demographic dividend and the drive for youth employm nt.

Invited by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, Dr Ould Tah participated in the Co’ncil’s meeting held on the sidelines of the 2025 World Bank Group and IMF Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C. The Council brings together heads of international financial institutions, ministers, and business executives to create jobs through impactful inves ments.

As he marks the halfway point of his first 100 days in office, Dr ’uld Tah’s participation underscores the African Develo’ment Bank’s strong commitment to putting jobs, youth, and opportunity at the cent’e of Africa’s transfor ation agenda.

“Africa’s youth are not a burden to manage; they are the engi’e of our ”ontinent’s future“” Dr Ould Tah said. “We need to invest in the right skills, formalise the informal economy,” nd back MSMEs at scale.”

This year’s Jobs Council focused ontourismandskilling-- two sectors where Africa holds vast untapped potential. Tourism already supports one in 20 jobs across the continent, with strong participation by women and youth. However, more than 80% of these workers remain in the informal sector without social protection, access to finance, or career pathways. Meanwhile, the persistent mismatch between education and training systems and labour market needs continues to limit young Africans’ access to gainful and productive employmen .

The Bank Gr’up’s president highlighted the’Bank’s growing portfolio of initiatives to accelerate job creation, including its Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy, which has mobilised over$105 billionin financing and is projected to generate19 million jobs by end-2025. The Bank Group has also developed the Youth, Skills and Jobs Marker System, a new tool for tracking job quality and inclusion in Bank-financed projects.

He also shared lessons from the Ban’’s work in supporting tourism-driven micro, small and medium enterprise ecosystems and deploying digital-first skilling programs that are bridging workforce ga s.

Dr Ould’Tah’s participation in the Council forms part of a series of high-level engagements during the Annual Meetings, including bilateral discussions with ministers, development partners, and corporate leaders. These interactions reflect hisFour Cardinal Pointsstrategic priorities -- mobilising capital at scale, unifying markets, industrialising locally,andinvesting in talent and technology-- as the blueprint for Africa’s economic transformation.

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