Africa is a continent of young people, with 75% of the population below the age of 35 and nearly 50% under the age of 19. Yet across Africa, instability, climate-related security, weak state capacity, the tenuous rule of law, amendment/removal of term limits, high inequality, illegitimate elections, inadequate judicial systems, and corruption continue to erode democracy. Moreover,  lack of institutional capacity undermines youth engagement in African democracies — from low visibility of youth as voters, limited capacity for youth-led advocacy, cultural attitudes, underrepresentation/exclusion in decision-making, loss of trust in democracy, online disinformation and misinformation, intimidation of young human rights defenders and traditional social norms result to gender inequality, shrinking civic spaces, nepotism and tribalism, hence persistently hindering young people's  participation, especially in leadership roles.