The President’s Inbox Africa’s Urban Youth Revolution, With Michelle Gavin
Sep 10, 2025
Michelle Gavin, Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies, dives into the transformational impact of urban youth on African politics. She discusses how urbanization and a vibrant youth demographic are reshaping political expectations and reform. The conversation highlights the challenges posed by entrenched leadership and the necessity for youth engagement in addressing economic issues. Gavin also critiques U.S. foreign policy, shedding light on the urgent need to align it with the realities facing African nations and the implications of job creation and migration.
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Demographics Signal Political Volatility
- Michelle Gavin argues youthful demographics, urbanization, and fading old narratives combine to create broad demand for political change across Africa.
- She predicts significant political volatility as populations seek politics that deliver better outcomes.
Expectation Gap Over Jobs
- Gavin emphasizes a growing gap between public expectations (notably jobs) and governments' limited capacity to deliver.
- Fiscal constraints and debt burdens make government-led job creation especially difficult.
Cameroon Visit Illustrates Political Stasis
- Michelle Gavin recounts first visiting Cameroon in the mid-1990s to study French and politics and finding Paul Biya central to every political conversation.
- She notes Biya still rules decades later, illustrating long political stasis despite societal change.
