African states have been urged to invest more in the youth to benefit from their immense potential.

The outgoing African Union Commission chairperson, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and the UN Secretary-General, Mr Antonio Gutteres, made the appeal in their opening remarks at the 28th AU heads of states summit summit in Addis Ababa on Monday.

“To unlock their full potential, we should do more to involve young people… By involving young people, they have a sense of ownership and stake in the future,” Dr Dlamini-Zuma said.

“The future of Africa belongs to youth. They have a responsibility to be organised, at local, national and continental levels, so they can help drive agenda 2063…On our part, we will this year appoint a Special AU Envoy for Youth, to mobilise and advocate for the youth,” she said.

Indicating that more than three out of five Africans were under 35 years of age, Mr Gutteres also stressed the need for Africa to benefit from its young generation.

“Making the most of this tremendous potential means more investment in education, training, decent work and engaging young people in shaping their future,” he said, promising the full support of the UN.

Chad, which has held the AU presidency for a year, handed over the baton to Guinea Conakry's Alpha Conde.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also attended the session.

The African leaders were also expected to deliberate on a number of other issues, including Morocco's bid for re-admission.