Strategic Communication: Empowering Côte d’Ivoire’s Youth in 2023

Introduction

In a powerful New Year’s address, President Alassane Ouattara declared 2023 as the “Year of Youth” in Côte d’Ivoire. This move reflects a decade-long commitment to empower the nation’s youth, with the 2021-2025 National Youth Policy serving as the compass. The government’s roadmap for 2023 is brimming with initiatives aimed at benefiting the youth, marking a unique opportunity to reshape engagement strategies.

Challenges in Youth Engagement:

Côte d’Ivoire’s youth, representing over three-quarters of the population, often harbour mistrust and lack confidence in public authorities. Changing information consumption habits and constant distractions have made it difficult for public actions to capture their attention.

Adapting to Modern Communication Channels

To engage the youth effectively, we must adapt to modern communication channels. This includes leveraging social media, mobile platforms, and video content, with an emphasis on influencer collaborations. The rise of platforms like TikTok highlights the importance of visual content and the influence of social media personalities.

Practical Steps

To illustrate, consider the “Enable Youth Côte d’Ivoire” project, which aims to boost youth employment in agribusiness. Success hinges on widespread youth support. To achieve this, we can employ scientific evidence and data to revamp our approach. This includes creating a mobile-friendly website accessible on any smartphone, prioritizing video communication, utilizing local languages, and partnering with influencers to educate and simplify access procedures.

The government’s commitment to the youth deserves our full support, and effective communication is the key to realizing President Alassane Ouattara’s vision for the Year of Youth. Together, we can make 2023 a year of empowerment and success for Côte d’Ivoire’s youth.

About the author

Kwame Senou is a seasoned public relations consultant specializing in engaging young audiences. He is the founder of Opinion & Public BCW and a member of the Global Advisory Council of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) in the United Kingdom.

First published on Fratmat Info