November 16, 2017

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is to declare open the 2017 Africa Industrialisation Day (AID) in Abuja.

This was made known in Abuja on Thursday in a statement issued by the organised labour under the auspices of the Industrial Global Union (IGU).

Mr Isa Aremu, Africa’s Vice-President of IGU who signed the statement, said the theme for the day is: ‘‘African Industrial Development: A Pre-Condition for Effective and Sustainable Continental Free Trade Area.’’

Aremu disclosed that a Special Policy Dialogue would be held as part of the buildup activities to mark the Day.

He said that the dialogue session which would also hold in Abuja would centre on ‘‘Fourth Industrial Revolution and its Implications for Africa.’’

According to him, the policy dialogue will critically examine the opportunities for Africa to diversify its economy, create mass decent jobs and promote diversification.

Aremu said that the global union with 50 million manufacturing workers world-wide, and over a million members in Africa, had planned all stakeholders’ mass rally for industrialisation of African economies.

He said the AID was declared by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) as an annual platform for governments, businesses and organised labour to examine ways to stimulate Africa’s industrialisation process.

The labour leader said that the 2017 events in Nigeria would culminate in the articulation of “Industrial Manifesto for Africa.’’

He said the manifesto would have bias for value addition to African raw materials, mass decent job creation and good working and living conditions for African workers.

The labour leader said that UNIDO acknowledged and support the activities, executive orders and measures of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration targeted at industrialising and diversifying the Nigerian economy.

The event is scheduled to hold from November 20.