Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has delivered a warning to Africa’s youth at the #Youth4Adaptation Summit in Nairobi.
Ki-Moon warned that climate change is unpredictable and therefore strikes when nations and their people are not prepared in any way.
“Climate change doesn’t send an RSVP. It strikes without warning,” Ki-Moon stated.
The words of the 8th Secretary General of the United Nations laid bare the urgent reality facing Africa’s youth, who bear the brunt of climate disasters despite contributing the least to global emissions.
Yet, as leaders gathered to discuss solutions, one truth became clear: young Africans are not waiting for permission to act; they are already leading the charge.
“It's young people, especially in Africa, who face the storm head-on, often with the fewest resources,” he said.
Kenya’s Special Climate Envoy Ali Mohamed, who engaged directly with youth at the summit, noted their resilience in adapting and innovating coping mechanisms.
“Our youth are already adapting, innovating, and leading on climate. From policy to patents, Africa’s youth are on the front line of the fight,” he said.
Across the continent, young people are responding to floods, droughts, and food insecurity with ingenuity, developing early warning systems, designing drought-resistant crops, and building tech-driven solutions to protect their communities.
The summit highlighted real-world examples of youth leadership. In Homa Bay, young Kenyans helped craft their county’s first locally led climate plan, proving that adaptation works best when those most affected drive the solutions.
Meanwhile, young inventors are patenting solar stoves, creating flood-resistant housing, and launching green enterprises, turning survival into innovation.
Ban Ki-Moon acknowledged the gap between global climate pledges and on-the-ground action.
“We know why we must mitigate, but we don’t know HOW to adapt,” he said. Yet Africa’s youth are rewriting that narrative.
As GCA CEO Prof. Patrick Verkooijen observed, “Youth across Africa are not future leaders; they are present innovators. Entrepreneurs. Activists. Inventors.”
The summit concluded with a pledge to amplify youth-led solutions at the upcoming Africa Climate Summit II in Addis Ababa.