AfDB appoints Mutharika  as Youth Program Champion

Malawian President Peter Mutharika has been appointed Champion for African Development Bank (ADB) Youth Program for the next 10 years.

AfDB president, Akinwumi Adesina, who was in the country on official visit, on Tuesday asked Mutharika 76,  to champion the youth program which aims to reach 50 million youths and create 25 million jobs for young Africans in the next 10 years.

The appointment comes barely a year after Mutharika was named United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Youth Global Champion.

Malawi is expected to benefit from Mutharika’s new role with the AfDB especially in the area of youth empowerment.

Mutharika once convinced the African Union (AU) to adopt “Youth empowerment” as the theme for 2017’s African Union Summit.

In January this year, the African Developed Bank embarked on the “High Fives” program for Africa which has five priority areas for Africa’s growth.

These five areas, which are in line with the Bank’s Ten Year Strategy, have been termed the “High-Fives,” serving as a blueprint for African countries to embark on a course of sustainable transformation.

Mutharika is currently heading six championship roles. He is also RUFORUM Champion for Higher Education in Africa; UN Women Global Impact Champion for the He4She Campaign; TRIPS Champion (Trade Related International Property rights – to ensure local drug manufacturing security in least developed countries) and Co-convener on the Commission for Financing Global Education, where Gordon Brown is the Chairperson.

Meanwhile, AfDB has pledged to increase its portfolio to Malawi from the current K212 billion to K400 billion in the 2016/17 financial year.

The AfDB has made a further commitment of $1 million immediately for Malawi to address food drought, and an additional $7 million for rapid humanitarian assistance and response and $28 million for various projects across the country.

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