By Andrew Wasike

LA PLAINE, Djibouti 

A UN body and several heads of state said Friday that the youth is key to lifting African economies out of poverty.

The remarks came during the concluding session of the Africa Economic Forum hosted in La Plaine, Djibouti by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Youth-focused and youth-led development is the way forward for Africa, said Tegegnework Gettu, associate administrator of UNDP.

"Therefore it is extremely critical to invest in youth,” he added.

Similar sentiments were echoed by heads of state who attended the summit.

Rwanda President Paul Kagame said: "The youth will contribute most to the transformation and development of their countries."

Fatima El Sheikh, deputy resident representative of UNDP, said that to realize globally sustainable development goals a shortfall of around $2.4 trillion needs to be closed.

"This figure cannot be financed by states only. It requires partnership with private sectors, informal and formal economies. Investing in the youth is how these countries can achieve inclusive growth,” she said.

The conference started on July 4.