The African Development Bank (AfDB) has unveiled a pilot version of its Youth, Jobs and Skills Marker System ,an ambitious digital platform designed to track and report real-time data on youth-focused skills development, job creation, and entrepreneurship across Africa. The full system is set for implementation in 2026.
Developed as a strategic tool to improve results-based programming, the platform enables Bank staff and consultants to access up-to-date data for critical tasks such as preparing country strategy papers, mid-term reviews, annual performance reports, and project supervision. It will also support the tracking and reporting of youth-specific results across all Bank operations.
According to the AfDB, the Marker System will address long-standing challenges in measuring youth outcomes by providing stronger data tracking mechanisms and more accurate estimates of youth employment rates and skills attainment. The platform is expected to improve the quality of labor market information systems across African countries and foster better coordination among stakeholders working in youth development.
Crucially, the system aims to guide policymakers, donors, and development practitioners with reliable, real-time insights that can inform evidence-based decisions and drive transformative policies. The Bank sees the platform as a game-changer for advancing its goals under the Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy and ensuring greater accountability in development programming.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) provided technical expertise for the system’s development, while the AfDB’s Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund offered financial backing.
With this move, the AfDB becomes the first development finance institution globally to design and implement a dedicated data system that captures youth-focused interventions across its entire portfolio. The initiative signals a bold commitment to strengthening youth inclusion and economic empowerment through more transparent and measurable development outcomes.
The pilot rollout serves as a test phase, during which the Bank will gather feedback, refine data categories, and strengthen institutional capacity ahead of the full launch in 2026.
As youth unemployment continues to pose a critical challenge across Africa, the AfDB’s new system is expected to fill a crucial data gap and catalyze stronger, more youth-centered investments from both public and private sectors.
