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Blogging to advance the Demographic Dividend Discourse in West and Central Africa

The main objective of the DD Blog is to attract attention of young people in particular, and the public in general to the issues of capturing the demographic dividend for better appropriation of this concept, with the aim of influencing development agendas, and contributing to the vision 2018-2021.

For the past 3 years, the Regional Office for West and Central Africa (UNFPA) has considered the dividend demographic as its strategic focus in Africa and through high level policy dialogue has brought Heads of State and Government to committing in January 2016 through a roadmap, to intensify investments in favour of youth as the main lever for the exploitation of the demographic dividend (DD).

The stakeholders’ engagement around the demographic dividend is mainly conducted through high level advocacy and sensitization campaigns through traditional media outlets and social media activities.  This strategy is working well as the public is more and more informed on the DD concept.  However, despite the many high level advocacy campaigns and policy dialogues around the dividend demographic, the concept is not popular in educational and research institutions, the media, especially on the internet nor among the young people (in and out-of school) who are the main levers to harness the demographic dividend.  It is therefore important to identify ways/strategies to make the demographic dividend concept more accessible.

In this regard, WCARO create a virtual platform to foster exchanges, stimulate debates, improve understanding and knowledge and popularize the demographic dividend among the pre-cited interest groups.  This virtual platform will constitute the DD Blog and will be animated by influencers of public knowledge who will post publications of researchers, journalists or opinions open on it.

Visit the DD Blog