Group photo of participants and officials
Youths in session
By Ngalame Elias
The second Youth Forum on Adaptation Finance in Africa took place in Yaounde October 29 – 31 2024. YOFAFA 2024 forum held under theme, “Financing energy access for climate change Adaptation and Resilience in Africa.”
Like last year it aims to empower over 200 youths from across the continent to advocate for and sensitize policy actors and funding bodies on the need to increase funding for climate adaptation in Africa by more than double to address especially Africa’s energy deficit.
It also aims to improve climate change education among young graduates who did not have the opportunity to do so while at their learning institutions across Africa.
In his opening remarks, Dr Augustine B Njamnshi, Executive Director, African Coalition for
Sustainable Energy and Access (ACSEA) and Chair of Political and Technical Affairs at the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance, noted the importance of the 2024 session, geared at “Empowering African
Youth with Resources for Adaptation Finance and
Energy Access.”
Young people experts say, could be instrumental as the engineers of transformative climate solutions thus the need to benefit from climate-focused education. The Yaoundé conference thus provides the opportunity to benefit skills gaps, mentorship and networking platforms geared towards active engagement and participation in the climate change discourse.
“ The older generation is soon getting out of the stage and thus the brunt to continue the climate change solution drive lies in the younger generation,” Ambassador Seyni Nafo, Co-Chair of the Green Climate Fund and Coordinator of the African Adaptation Initiative, noted in his remarks.
Ahead of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2024,in Azerbaijan this November, the session provided the African youths the opportunity to amplify their voices especially in addressing the alarming energy crisis in Africa that hampers education among other development.
In a panel discussion on the Interlink of Climate Finance, Energy Access and Adaptation moderated by Eugene N Nforngwa, Director of Programmes at ACSEA and Thematic Lead for Just Transition and Energy Access at PACJA participants examined the regional perspectives on the role of adaptation finance in achieving energy access for climate resilience in Africa.
Speakers included, Mr Said Chakri, AESTV Morrocco, Dr Godwin Ojo, ACSEA, Nigeria and Mr. Isaac Kabongo, ECO, Uganda
The training session is supported by YAF Africa as part of the Building Resilience and Adaptive Capacities in Africa Through Enhanced Renewable Energy Access (BRACE Africa) programme of the Africa Coalition for Sustainable Energyand Access (ACSEA) and the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA).
The forum started with 4 weeks online training on Climate Finance Mobilization and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) where participants were gained knowledge and skills in climate finance, advocacy, and project development.
The different sessions focused on the inclusion of the youth in climate action, which could be achieved through innovative volunteerism, spearheaded by the uptake of climate change education from the base through to higher education and research.
The forum has culminated this week in a coordinated advocacy campaign to raise awareness and call for action on adaptation finance in Africa.
Participants reviewed and reformulated at the end “The Yaounde African Youth Call for More than Doubling Climate Finance for Africa’s Future”. The call will be presented at a side event at COP29.
