ADDIS ABABA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The African Union has reiterated its commitment to addressing the multifaceted challenges facing the youth on the African continent.

The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, made the commitment at the ongoing 2nd edition of Pan-African Youth Forum, from April 24 to 27, which kicked off on Wednesday at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

Faki underlined the need to exploit the enormous potential of Africa's youth to address the existing problems, and thereby realizing the vision for the continent.

The Chairperson of the AU Commission said the AU launched on Wednesday the Initiative dubbed "One Million by 2021," to create opportunities and make interventions for millions of youth of Africa.

The initiative targets direct investments in millions of African youth on the four key elements of Employment, Entrepreneurship, Education and Engagement (4Es), through leveraging partnerships and private sector opportunities.

The initiative aims to concretely reach millions of African youth from across the continent with opportunities and interventions in the key areas of the 4E's, which will accelerate socioeconomic development on the continent.

"It is my expectation that it will embolden various stakeholders to develop creative ideas and help build an ecosystem of efficiencies across the continent in furtherance of youth development," the Chairperson said.

"To achieve success, it is imperative that we pool our efforts and resources together, and I call upon all stakeholders to join me in this commitment to our future," he said.

Some of the youth who are participating in the Forum hailed the Initiative and the gathering that it would help them release their potential and united energy to bring about the desired socio-economic change on the continent.

"We are now learning how to cannel our energy and the fact that we come together here," Lunga Kupiso from South Africa told Xinhua.

"It is really a united front; if it is not fully united, this is the beginning of a great united front in terms of young people," asid Kupiso.

Senait Hagos, an Ethiopian and a 3rd-year science and technology university student, said she likes the initiative because it starts from school and encourages young students to release their potential.

Young people make up the bulk of Africa's total population with an estimated 75 percent of the continent's population below the age of 35. Enditem

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