What youth make of corruption, Putin - survey
In December 2019, President Museveni who has ruled Uganda since 1986 led government officials in a march against corruption promising to end the vice that is perpetuated by mainly government officials and politicians in his party.
What you need to know:
- The survey reveals that Ugandan youth believe corruption in their country is robbing them of their birthright—the single greatest hurdle they face to achieve their own potential and achieve the better life that was denied to their parents and their grandparents.
A survey carried out by Ichikowitz Family Foundation has shown that corruption is now front and centre in the minds of the youth in the country.
The survey reveals that Ugandan youth believe corruption in their country is robbing them of their birthright—the single greatest hurdle they face to achieve their own potential and achieve the better life that was denied to their parents and their grandparents.
“Most of all, they don’t believe their government is doing enough to address this scourge and because of it, almost 60 percent are looking to emigrate in the next five years, with North America being the top destination of choice, followed by Western Europe, where France, UK, Germany and Spain are the top destinations,” the survey results show.
Mr Nico De Klerk, the director of communications at Ichikowitz Family Foundation, says this concern with corruption is a key finding of the 2024 edition of the African Youth Survey, the third iteration of the unique biennial survey of African youth aged between 18 and 24. He adds that the youth want change. They want tougher sanctions against corrupt politicians, including banning culprits from standing for office. They also want a different form of government.
The youth still believe in democracy (69 percent), but they are turning away from the Western concept of democracy in favour of an African-infused system (60 percent) that will deliver the results they so desire. More alarmingly, nearly one in three believe that non-democratic systems, from the military or one-party rule, could be preferable under certain circumstances.
The youth also want either jobs or at least an opportunity to create their own. They are concerned about their countries being exploited by foreign companies, especially the natural mineral wealth being mined and exported without any further benefit to the people from where those resources have been extracted.
From a global perspective, China continues to have the most positive perception among African youth, closely followed by the US. Russia has, however, made significant strides since the previous survey in 2022.
The survey explored the impact of the Ukraine-Russia War on the continent, revealing that a majority of the youth blame Western powers for the conflict.
While the youth believe their leaders should be consulted when it comes to the world’s problems, less than half believe their countries should take stronger stances on the current wars in Ukraine and Gaza. They believe Russian President Vladimir Putin will become one of the most influential leaders in Africa soon, while a Donald Trump victory in the upcoming US presidential elections will be a far worse outcome for Africa, than his opponent.
Industrialist and philanthropist Ivor Ichikowitz says the survey is creating an invaluable body of knowledge that is indispensable for both local political leaders, multinational companies, and global Aid NGOs when it comes to policy direction, investment, and aid programmes in a post-pandemic world.
