AUDA-NEPAD and Spain have launched the COYWA Programme Africa Segment, advancing entrepreneurship, skills development, and women’s economic empowerment across African countries and regional communities continent wide.
The launch took place during the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa and was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding between AUDA-NEPAD and AECID, alongside Delegation Agreements with five Regional Economic Communities: COMESA, EAC, ECCAS, ECOWAS, and SADC.
These agreements establish a coordinated implementation framework, enabling regional partners to deliver training, enterprise development, and skills programmes aligned with Africa’s broader economic transformation agenda. The initiative reflects strong political commitment from governments, regional bodies, and development partners to equip young Africans and women entrepreneurs with tools to participate meaningfully in economic growth.
Africa’s demographic landscape highlights the urgency of such investments. With more than 60 per cent of the continent’s 1.4 billion people under the age of 25, youth empowerment and skills development remain critical drivers of economic participation. Women already comprise 58 per cent of Africa’s self-employed population, yet structural barriers and a US$42 billion funding gap continue to limit their full economic potential. Closing this gap could contribute up to US$2.5 trillion to Africa’s GDP.
H.E. Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of the Republic of Namibia, emphasised the transformative importance of empowering youth and women through structured economic support. She said:
“Programmes such as COYWA, which combine skills, opportunity, finance, and institutional support at scale, are precisely the partnerships Africa needs to ensure that young people and women are not only prepared for the future but empowered to shape it.”
COYWA focuses on entrepreneurship development, digital and financial literacy, sector-specific skills training, and inclusive economic participation, including support for women-led enterprises and initiatives addressing gender equality and health. The Programme aligns directly with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 goals, supporting inclusive growth, youth employment, and sustainable development.
H.E. Mrs. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD, highlighted the programme’s significance as a scalable continental investment in Africa’s future. She said:
“This launch is more than a ceremonial milestone. It is a continental statement of intent. It sends a clear message: Africa will no longer treat youth and women’s inclusion as an aspiration, but as an investment, a delivery agenda, and a measurable pathway to the Africa We Want. COYWA is built to scale and built to deliver through Africa’s Regional Economic Communities. Through the signing of Delegation Agreements, we formally signal readiness to move from preparation to delivery. To our partners, this launch is an invitation to co-invest, to co-deliver, and to scale what works. And to Africa’s youth and women: COYWA is not a favour. It is recognition of a simple truth — Africa’s transformation will be driven by your talent, your innovation, and your leadership.”
Spain’s partnership with AUDA-NEPAD reinforces international collaboration to unlock Africa’s economic potential through youth and women empowerment. Mr. Antón Leis García, Director of AECID, emphasised the programme’s scalable impact model. He said:
“Spain’s partnership with AUDA-NEPAD through COYWA reflects our deep conviction that effective development cooperation must prioritise the economic empowerment of young people and women. The numbers are clear: Africa has the highest rate of female entrepreneurship in the world, yet a US$42 billion funding gap holds women-led businesses back from reaching their full potential. COYWA’s multiplier model, where graduates become facilitators who train hundreds more, is exactly the kind of sustainable, scalable investment that delivers measurable returns. We invest in 15 proven young entrepreneurs and they go on to train 225 more across three countries. That is a return on investment that any development partner should want to be part of.”
Operational readiness has already advanced, with governance frameworks, grant agreements, and implementation mechanisms established across the participating Regional Economic Communities. Mr. Symerre Grey-Johnson, Director of Human Capital and Institutional Development at AUDA-NEPAD, highlighted the programme’s measurable outcomes and accountability framework. He said:
“Within the Human Capital and Institutional Development Directorate, our mandate is to translate political ambition into operational results. We worked with the five Regional Economic Communities — COMESA, EAC, ECCAS, ECOWAS and SADC — to establish governance structures, conduct Technical and Organisational Capacity Assessments, and finalise grant and sub-delegation frameworks. These efforts have already yielded results: grant agreements with all RECs have been finalised and the first tranche has been disbursed. What distinguishes COYWA is accountability. We will track participation, enterprise survival, access to finance and markets, and real improvements in income, dignity, and agency. Through this Africa Team approach, we are translating the aspirations of Agenda 2063 into tangible gains for African youth and women, households and businesses.”
Regional leadership has also reaffirmed its commitment to implementing entrepreneurship programmes aligned with local economic realities. H.E. Mr. Elias M Magosi, SADC Executive Secretary, said:
“As a Regional Economic Community, our role is to ensure that continental programmes are tailored to the realities and labour market demands of our Member States. COYWA provides a framework that allows us to do exactly that: delivering entrepreneurship training, digital and financial literacy, and business development support to young people and women-led enterprises in ways that respond to regional economic needs. The Cohort 1 graduates from our region have already demonstrated what is possible. We are fully committed to this partnership and to ensuring that Cohort 2 reaches the young entrepreneurs who need it most.”
The Programme’s impact is already visible through its training and mentorship model. Fifteen graduates from 12 African countries who completed the COYWA Masterclass are now equipped to train an additional 225 young entrepreneurs across Cabo Verde, Rwanda, and Zambia. This cascading model strengthens Africa-led skills development and expands entrepreneurial opportunities across diverse sectors including agritech, digital innovation, and healthcare.
Rachel Hakim, Founder of ReproHealth in South Sudan and COYWA Cohort 1 graduate, highlighted the programme’s role in strengthening youth entrepreneurship and health access. She said:
“In South Sudan, young people face some of the most challenging conditions for accessing sexual and reproductive health services from anywhere on the continent. That is why I founded ReproHealth: to ensure that young women and girls in my country have access to the information and services they need to stay healthy, stay in school, and participate in the economy. COYWA understood from the very beginning that health and economic empowerment are inseparable. You cannot build a young entrepreneur if she does not have access to the health services that allow her to plan her future. The Masterclass has equipped me with skills to better build my company and carry this business message further as a facilitator for Cohort 2, and I intend to make sure that every young person I train understands that their communities’ reproductive health is the foundation of their economic agency.”
Through coordinated partnerships, structured training, and scalable investment models, the COYWA Programme strengthens Africa’s entrepreneurship ecosystem while advancing economic inclusion, enterprise growth, and long-term social impact for youth and women across the continent.
