The African Youth Business Council (AfYBC), affiliated with
the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has announced the
selection of Engineer Mohamed Osama, an Alumni of the Nasser Fellowship for
international Leadership and the Technical and Technological Support Officer
for the Global Solidarity Network, as a founding member representing the North
Africa region on the new executive board. This board comprises twelve African
entrepreneurs under the age of forty, representing the five regions of Africa
and the sixth region (the African diaspora).
Engineer Osama explained that the board members serve as a
vital link between the council and its broader community of young people
engaged in business and commerce across the African continent. He noted that
the council is the highest authority representing the private sector and the
first comprehensive youth-led organization at the continental level. He
emphasized that the council is a powerful voice for young entrepreneurs and
their companies, promoting young entrepreneurs and their businesses, advocating
for a youth-friendly economic and commercial system, promoting fair trade and
fair competition, and connecting young African entrepreneurs to participate
effectively in national and intra-African trade within the framework of the
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Engineer Osama added that the council's primary objectives
focus on strengthening a popular front for young entrepreneurs leading to
impactful business activity at the African level as a pathway to creating jobs
for young people, especially in the context of the AfCFTA trade regime. He
highlighted the council's efforts to foster a comprehensive and youth-friendly
business environment that addresses the common challenges facing successful
youth-led entrepreneurship across the continent, such as insufficient
financing, market dominance, and burdensome tax and regulatory systems.
Engineer Mohamed Osama began his professional career as a
trainee within the projects of the Global Solidarity Network in 2021 and
participated in the international media team. He then moved on to lead the
technical and technological support team for the Nasser Youth Movement, one of
the network's largest projects. He also served as the technical support officer
for the Youth of the Global South Office and contributed professionally to
enhancing the virtual reality of the Nasser International Leadership
Scholarship under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Engineer Mohamed Osama graduated from the Faculty of
Computer Science and Information Technology at the Future University in 2023.
Despite his young age, he possesses strong expertise in information technology
and entrepreneurship, being the founder of "VOOG Network," a company
specializing in comprehensive digital solutions that achieve digital success,
including website development, mobile application creation, and hosting
services. This qualified him to be at the forefront of the African Union's
choices for the first council dedicated to entrepreneurs at the continental
level.
For his part, anthropologist Hassan Ghazaly, founder of the
Global Solidarity Network, praised the capabilities of Egyptian youth armed
with knowledge, pointing out that the nomination of Engineer Mohamed Osama from
Egypt and designer Hassnaa Farid from the Kingdom of Morocco as representatives
of the North Africa region for this position came from a desire to empower
Egyptian youth at the continental level and also to give Egypt a strong and
professional voice within continental institutions while focusing on nominating
national competencies.
Ghazaly also praised the efforts of the AfYBC in promoting
the integration of young entrepreneurs into the AfCFTA agreement, based on the
Protocol on Women and Youth in African Trade, as the first step towards
enhancing youth integration in trade between African countries and a way to
enhance youth participation in the trade policy process of the AfCFTA,
expressing optimism about the ability of the new generation of African youth to
bring about the desired change in Africa's economic future.
It is noteworthy that the new AfYBC Executive Office
members, comprising prominent African entrepreneurs under the age of forty,
have been appointed for a two-year term (2024-2026). Among them are Souleymane
Nissaï Tourébour and Banny Jani Baki Fouziatou (West Africa); Eliud Kanyesius
Gregory and Farida K. Gitonga (East Africa); Gugulethu Seso (Southern Africa);
Sema Ongonbibo Irène and Serhaza Berhaika Onesiphore (Central Africa); and
Hasnaa Farid and Mohamed Osama Zabal (North Africa).
By: Boniface Tougue ( KBN)
