Job creation for youth called for at DRC–China Media Forum

Kinshasa, March 18^th, 2026 (CPA).- Job creation for young people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a population estimated at 40 million with ages ranging between 16 and 17, was highlighted Wednesday in Kinshasa as a key priority to ensure their livelihood, at the opening of the DRC–China Media Forum 2026 by the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the national economy. “In reality, the greatest challenge for the DRC is the democratic challenge. In a country where the median age is between 16 and 17, this means that today there are at least 40 million Congolese under the age of 16. This gives an idea of the number of jobs that must be created over the next 15 years to preserve the dignity of these millions of young Congolese and prevent them from having to ‘vote with their feet’ by choosing to emigrate in order to live decently,” said Daniel Mukoko Samba. The first edition of the forum is being held from March 18^th to 19^th, 2026 in Kinshasa under the theme: “Chinese-style modernization and the development path of the DRC: joint exploration of a new win-win trajectory.” Following the opening ceremony on Wednesday, the second day will be devoted to technical sessions bringing together media professionals, experts and academics to discuss contemporary issues in journalism, including the digital transformation of the sector and the contribution of emerging technologies to news production.