Microsoft's 4Afrika initiative has selected four youth members to be the representatives of Africa’s youth demographic for its advisory council, according to the company.

Rwanda’s Akaliza Keza Gara, Chude Jideonwo from Nigeria, Tayeb Sbihi from Morocco and Cameroon’s Olivia Mukam were selected from existing African youth leadership groups such as US President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative and the African Leadership Network.

According to Microsoft 4Afrika officials, the new members represent the issues facing Africa’s youth across rural and urban populations in areas such as unemployment, education and access to technology.

The new members bring with them experiences from multiple sectors including non-profit, technology, design and more, the technology company stated.

Microsoft 4Afrika Advisory Council chairman, Benjamin Mkapa said, "The information and communications technology (ICT) field is not only redefining how we conduct our major businesses on the continent, it is increasingly improving the efficiency of critical support services, such as education, health, and disaster mitigation and management. The young demographic is playing a big role in integrating new solutions to these services, and this has helped create new industries and employment opportunities.”

"We are excited about the induction of the new 4Afrika advisory council youth members because it helps the initiative stay true to the spirit of youth, enterprise and innovation," said Mkapa.

The council plans to meet in person twice annually and also expected hold regionally focused meetings throughout the year.

Mteto Nyati, vice chair of the Microsoft 4Afrika advisory council added, "Africa has a relatively young population. This can be either a curse or a blessing. The aim of our 4Afrika Initiative is to unleash the potential of Africa’s youth. Our ambassadors will guide us as we strive to achieve this goal."

The Microsoft 4Afrika advisory council is an external board of advisers tasked with guiding strategic investments undertaken by the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative.

Microsoft’s 4Afrika initiative was launched a year ago and designed to help Africa improve its global competitiveness and facilitate Microsoft’s active engagement in Africa’s economic development.