{"id":20810,"date":"2026-05-19T09:48:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T13:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/africanstudies\/?post_type=cu-events&p=20810"},"modified":"2026-05-19T09:48:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T13:48:21","slug":"unlocking-sustainable-solutions-for-youth-employment-and-entrepreneurship-through-indigenous-knowledge-in-africa","status":"publish","type":"cu-events","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/africanstudies\/cu-events\/unlocking-sustainable-solutions-for-youth-employment-and-entrepreneurship-through-indigenous-knowledge-in-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Unlocking Sustainable Solutions for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship through Indigenous Knowledge in Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Africa Indigenous Knowledge Research Network (AIKRN), Institute of African Studies, Carleton University with support from the Mastercard Foundation presents the launch of the final report on\u00a0 the project entitled<\/p>\n

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” Unlocking Sustainable Solutions for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship through Indigenous Knowledge in Africa<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Date and time:<\/strong> Wednesday May 27, 2026, 10am EST\/3PM GMT\/6PM EAT via Zoom<\/p>\n

Registration link: https:\/\/carleton-ca.zoom.us\/meeting\/register\/kwoLyIJVS4S8LJzp2XQqcQ<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Overview<\/strong>
\nFrom 2023 to 2026, the Africa Indigenous Knowledge Research Network (AIKRN), Institute of African Studies, Carleton University with support from the Mastercard Foundation carried out community-based research in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda to understand how indigenous knowledge can promote youth employment and entrepreneurship. The research highlighted how young people are drawing on indigenous practices, values, and community-based institutions to drive entrepreneurship in diverse sectors such as agriculture, creative industries, health, and environmental sustainability. It also showed that indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) continue to serve as critical foundations for innovation, resilience, and livelihood creation.<\/p>\n

Despite these contributions, policy and development frameworks often marginalize indigenous knowledge, privileging externally derived models of entrepreneurship. This disconnect limits the potential of African youth to leverage culturally grounded, locally relevant, and sustainable pathways to economic empowerment. There is therefore a need to amplify empirical insights from ongoing research and create platforms for dialogue among scholars, practitioners, and development partners. This webinar provides a unique platform for sharing valuable insights from the research. The objectives of the webinar include the following:<\/p>\n