ABSTRACT
This concluding chapters brings together the respective arguments made by the chapter contributors throughout the book. It concludes that the daily lived experiences of youth have played a critical role in shaping the evolving dynamics between citizens and their leaders in several countries in Africa. Poverty and the resulting lack of economic opportunities, plus the continuous infantilisation and marginalisation of youth across the continent, have undermined confidence across the board. This general sense of despair cuts across nations, cultures and communities, most of which are trapped in poverty and economic hardship. The chapter analyses the impact of youth movements, youth protests within the context of COVID-19, the role of international institutions, and the frustration among youth in relation to the re-emergence of the pre-revolution elites in several of the contexts studied. The chapter points at the need to further investigate the question of what constitutes success for a youth-led social movement and how can that success be measured? In concluding, the chapter analyses the critical question of what the future holds for African youth.
