African Energy and Economic Youth Council (AEEYC)

The African Energy and Economic Youth Council (AEEYC) is a youth-led initiative focused on bridging the gap between Africa’s economic potential and the lived realities of its young people. Our work is grounded in a simple observation: while Africa is entering a defining phase shaped by the energy transition, critical minerals, and industrial growth, many young people and small businesses remain excluded from these opportunities. The challenge is not a lack of ambition, but a lack of access to information, networks, skills, and pathways into these sectors. At AEEYC, we focus on creating practical entry points. This includes convening dialogues that connect young people with industry and policymakers, but more importantly, developing programmes that support enterprise development, compliance readiness, and participation in energy and economic value chains. We are particularly interested in how to move from conversation to implementation. Many platforms create awareness, but fewer focus on what happens after how young people actually access opportunities, how SMEs become investment-ready, and how collaboration translates into real outcomes. Our approach is collaborative by design. We work to connect stakeholders across sectors public, private, and development, because the challenges we are addressing are systemic and require coordinated responses. Looking ahead, AEEYC aims to deepen its work across the continent by building partnerships that prioritise inclusion, execution, and long-term impact. We are especially interested in engaging with organisations that are working on similar challenges around youth inclusion, economic participation, and systems change. We see platforms like AEEYC as an opportunity to align with others who are equally focused on doing the work testing ideas, building solutions, and contributing to a more inclusive and sustainable future for Africa.