Through the South Sudan Youth: Redefining Path of Economic Growth in South Sudan
Daniel Athior'o Atem Manyuon
By Daniel Athior’o Atem, Juba, South Sudan
Sunday, May 19, 2024 (PW) — It is 12 years since the Republic of South Sudan was created. Two events sealed the secession from the Khartoum Government were the Comprehensives Peace Agreement (CPA) signed on 9th January 2005 between the National Congress Party – NCP and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement / Amy (SPLM/A) and followed by self – determination referendum in January 2011 in which 98.83% voted in favor of the creation of a new nation. What is clear is that by the year 2000, relative peace had already taken root in then Southern Sudan region (now South Sudan) and children born by then are now the youth. In the two main events for the creation of South Sudan, the role of the youths is silent. Even in a violent ethnic squabble that ensued after independence between 2013 – 2017, little is known about the youth. Therefore, this article explains how the youth drives development once empowered.
The context
The independence of South Sudan set different opportunities for the youths to drive the economy and development. In such a situation, the question is how? Since 2011, South Sudan has received various developments in its education and many youths accessing foreign education services. Education provides outcomes required for social development and economic growth which is also among the primary objectives of the education system in South Sudan. From 2011 – 2020, South Sudan has received more young men and women aged 20-24 for training, employment in different sectorial opportunities, increased education infrastructure and training abilities. In this context, inclusion into the labor market of young people becomes one of the most important goals of the economic growth process and sustainable development. Currently, the objective of raising qualified labor is shaping the schooling policies to have quality and qualified individuals that would drive the nation to economic growth.
Generally, economic growth is indispensable to educational reforms. It must be examined concerning external economic efficiency to determine if education policies in South Sudan meet economic growth requirements and whether they can raise alumni through the economic structures that would spearhead the economy of South Sudan. Are our education policies for all levels directly related to employment needs based on South Sudan’s economic profile? Owing to this questioning format, it is important to increase participation rates that will contribute to economic growth and to make it functional for meeting the requirements of the prevailing labor market. Expanding and increasing education results in quantitative growth through the increase of the number of students accessing and succeeding in schooling is the first step South Sudan should take for all households. For this reason, establishing the link between educated youths and employment opportunities needs to be simplified rather than making it a complex issue.
The narrative on the functionality of education institutions relating to the employment of the youths has remained a source of interrogating policies to citizens. South Sudan is experiencing too many young graduates seeking entry to all sectors of the economy and beyond many entering to prevailing few university places. While growth based on several youths has occurred in many countries of the world, a similar situation is desirable if South Sudan is harnessing sustainable growth and development. It has also been found that the role of the youth in economic development is not yet heard. This situation gives rise to the question of the link between growth and youth in South Sudan.
The answer is that education expenditures which are related to economic growth must have youths as subjects. The Youths require a strong connection with prevailing employment, policies, aforementioned growth direction and level of efficiency to be obtained. Allocated budget to improve the quality of youths and sectoral budget to support youths in different activities must be included in every year’s fiscal budget. Considering the role of the youth in economic growth, the functionality of education policy needs to be tailored to the context.
Challenges and Opportunities for Youths in Economic Growth
Using the human capital theory, it is true that education increases the productivity and efficiency of individuals thus making them ready for employment by improving their occupational skills. In this regard, educating youths is a positive signal for employers who follow the labor market. The youths who continue their education consider it a tool enabling them to reach better employment opportunities rather than increased productivity. The youths who need to be employed consider secondary and university education a tool towards employment.
University and secondary education increase the effectiveness of the youth while implementing growth policies. Educated youths set a precedence for the rest of the youths to seek to complete their education to be employed in the same economic growth mantle. Generation after generation is a basis for sustainable growth and development in both local and national economies.
In South Sudan however, many children still do not complete secondary and primary education despite the increase in the rates of enrollment. The youths of this nature struggle to find permanent and productive employment in areas like private sector, civil services, and technical skills of driving and carpentry. Starting these activities while youth is instrumental to the development and sustaining of the economy in South Sudan.
In current South Sudan, youths with less education start professional and non –professional careers at earlier ages. This equips them with lifelong experience in the labor market as well as having more time to find an occupational that is lead to personal development. This has enabled some youths to fulfil the mission of preventing socio-economic inequalities but this is still at the lower level. An inclusive economic growth policy would serve the best to pull and push the youth to drive the economy.
Most youths in South Sudan come from low socio-economic backgrounds but are over-sensitive to the conditions of the labor market. Income inequality among employment opportunities and price shocks lead increase in their level of unemployment. Financial difficulties lead some groups of youths to work at low-quality jobs. Some graduate youths are also disadvantaged since they cannot gain experience in the constantly changing labor market at an early age.
In sectors like agriculture, industries, and contracts; the youths face periodical unemployment which is associated with using finance that has been accumulated in the past. This poses a disadvantage to economic growth since periodical employment hinders the accumulation of revenues and the generation of income. An inclusive youth policy in the economy serves the best.
Policy Approach
The Government of the Republic of South Sudan through its relevant institutional and international partners needs to make education compulsory to align the youth with the skills required towards economic growth, development and sustainability. The impact of such education can be observed in structuring sectors towards skill-based activities.
Human capital theory shows that investments in education have economic returns and successful economies make relatively more investments in education of the upcoming generations. These investments must be expressed by the schooling attitudes of households in South Sudan. This will in turn increase schooling duration and skills acquired to have a successful economy. Hence, it is not always right to expect economic growth based on employment but rather the number of able youths to drive the economy.
The author, Daniel Athior’o Atem, was the World Bank Blog4Dev2019 Winner for South Sudan||A member of the Youth Transforming Africa||Mandela Scholar and can be reach via his email address: atemathior@gmail.com
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