Restoring young people’s confidence in their local communities, in the face of contemporary challenges, has remained one of the key challenges for local authorities. This growing challenge is increasingly being addressed by various social and community stakeholders.
In Benin, social players and NGOs interviewed by Dialogue Migration highlighted the vital role of communities and decentralised institutions in young people’s development. This includes their desire to stay in their communities or to settle there permanently upon returning from migration.
Nidal Benali, President of the Moroccan Network of Local Youth Councils, who visited Benin to attend the National Independence Day celebrations in August 2026, believes that ‘South-South cooperation must not remain merely a concept used in diplomatic speeches. For it to make sense to a young person in Cotonou, Rabat, Asilah or a rural commune, it must create tangible opportunities in their daily lives”.
In Benin, as in Morocco, and in many African countries, a large proportion of the population is made up of young people. However, persistent challenges are preventing young people from participating fully in public and political life.
Challenges Facing Young Africans
African youth face challenges relating in particular to employment, migration, education, innovation and access to opportunities. “Our first response must be to create greater intra-African mobility,” says Benali.
He notes that whilst there is much talk of young Africans moving to Europe or North America, there is still far too little discussion of mobility between African countries.
“A Moroccan student should be encouraged to consider Cotonou as a natural destination for an academic or professional experience, just as a Beninese student should be able to look to Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakesh or other Moroccan cities,” emphasises Benali.
In his view, joint training programmes should be developed in vocational training, entrepreneurship, digital technology, sustainable agriculture, the creative industries and the social economy. Innovation ecosystems should also be better connected. A young Beninese entrepreneur may have a solution that is applicable in Morocco and viceversa.
He also highlights the necessity of improving information sharing, as opportunities sometimes exist but spread only within very limited networks. “We must make access to programmes, scholarships, training and calls for proposals more widely accessible” he urges.
He also advocates mentoring, drawing on the fact that Africa boasts an impressive generation of entrepreneurs, researchers, community leaders and professionals. We need to set up more mechanisms to ensure this experience is passed on to the next generation.
Turning Ideas into Action
“Firstly, we could set up an annual Morocco–Benin exchange programme that would connect young people actively involved in their local communities. An introductory delegation from Benin could visit Morocco to meet with local youth councils, local authorities, academic institutions, NGOs and organisations supporting entrepreneurship. A Moroccan delegation could then make the round trip,” says Benali.
He also suggested developing a Morocco–Benin academy for civic participation and local leadership that would offer training in local governance, project management, advocacy, communication, social entrepreneurship and innovation.
Another idea, he argues, would be to forge partnerships between Moroccan and Beninese organisations around very specific projects. Two organisations could, for example, work for six months on a shared issue and then showcase the results of their work.
Benali believes that greater use should be made of digital technology. “We don’t need to wait for face-to-face visits every time we want to cooperate. Young people from Cotonou and Asilah can work together remotely every week and then meet in person to bring their project to fruition.”
The ultimate goal is to build a lasting relationship, rather than a form of cooperation that begins and ends with an official visit.
Building a More Integrated and Prosperous Africa
Several stakeholders, notably NGOs and regional and international institutions, concur that African integration cannot be achieved by governments alone but must also be led by citizens. This is an area where young people have a particular responsibility.
“We must nurture a generation that sees itself as Moroccan, Beninese, Senegalese, Ivorian, Kenyan or otherwise, whilst being aware that they belong to a shared African space,” says Benali.
He points out that youth organisations can forge these connections much more quickly than traditional institutions.
“When a young Moroccan and a young Beninese person work together on a project, preconceptions disappear and a human connection is formed. Peace is also built in this way. It does not begin solely at major international conferences. It begins when societies get to know one another.”
To achieve this, he suggests expanding African youth networks, academic exchanges, joint projects, volunteering programmes and forums for dialogue.
From Dialogue to Lasting Action
Whilst international relations sometimes feature many interesting meetings that result in great photos and fruitful discussions, but do not always lead to concrete action. Benali, however, wishes to avoid this as his aspiration is to establish a permanent mechanism for cooperation between the network and Beninese youth organisations. He then intends to work on an exchange programme enabling young people from both countries to gain practical insight into local governance and civic participation.
He also hopes to develop joint training activities and explore opportunities for collaboration in the areas of social entrepreneurship and innovation. “But above all, I want these partnerships to reach beyond young people who are already very well-connected or those who regularly attend international events. We must reach out to young people in rural areas, in small towns and in communities that have less access to opportunities. That is where our cooperation will truly make a difference,” says Benali.
