The greatest threat youth face today is exclusion and marginalization from decisions that affect them. Unemployment, crime, HIV/AIDS, neglect by the authorities and often abandonment to their fate because of various forms of discrimination top the list of problems young people face in African towns and cities. At the same time, urban youth in developing countries possess immense potential to contribute to social development if afforded the right opportunities. The challenge of putting youth at the centre of development strategies can be compared to the challenge, two decades ago, of putting women and gender issues on the development agenda. It is no longer conceivable that problems of developing countries can be resolved without focusing on the role of women. A similar paradigm shift is required with respect to youth in development