ILO Head for Africa on official visit to Rwanda

ILO Regional Director for Africa, Ms. Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon aims to strengthen ILO-Rwanda cooperation during the International conference on youth employment which takes place in Kigali, Rwanda.

21 August 2018

Kigali (ILO News) - The ILO Regional Director for Africa, Ms. Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon will be on official mission to Kigali, Rwanda from 20 to 21 August 2018 to discuss knowledge and best practices focussing on agriculture, youth employment, entrepreneurship and innovations.

On 21 August in Kigali, the ILO Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Africa will address the Conference on Youth Employment in Agriculture as a Solid Solution to ending Hunger and Poverty in Africa jointly organized by UN-FAO, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Rwanda and the African Union Commission (AUC).

Ms Olonjuwon will be addressing the panel on the Future of Work in the rural economy with a focus on the youth. The aim is to lead a dialogue on a framework and a roadmap that will transform work for youth in agriculture thereby share the future of work needed in Africa’s rural areas.

During her visit, she is also expected to hold meetings with high level representatives from the tripartite constituents (Ministry of Employment/Labour, Workers’ and Employers’ organizations) as well as senior delegates from key line Ministries and UN Agencies to strengthen strategic partnerships with the ILO.

Young workers in rural Africa have one of the top probabilities of living in poverty. Yet, their future rimes with agriculture. Agriculture can improve food security and generate decent jobs and income to farmers, agripreneurs and labourers. Reducing rural poverty requires creating decent jobs, increasing productivity of small-scale agriculture and investing in people. Moreover, the promotion of decent work in the rural economy is key to eradicating poverty and reducing inequality and gender gaps.

For more information, please contact:
Jude Muzale, National Programme Coordinator -Youth & Women in Kigali, Rwanda, [email protected] Tel: +250788308512
Magnus Minja, Communication focal point, ILO East Africa Office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, [email protected], Tel: +255 754956342
Guebray Berhane, Senior Communications Officer, ILO Regional Office for Africa, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, [email protected]