GUEST COLUMNIST BY ISSA AREMU
Africa Industrialisation (Day AID) 2020 assumes a special importance as it was observed with week-long manifestations, making it truly Africa Industrialisation Week (AIW) not just a Day. In 1989, the United Nations General Assembly, proclaimed 20 November “Africa Industrialisation Day” (AID) within the framework of the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa (1991-2000). Since then, the United Nations system led by United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) held events annually raising awareness about the importance of Africa’s industrialisation and the challenges faced by the continent.
In the past six years, the affiliate trade unions of IndustriALL Global Union in Nigeria had been active, observing the day through industrial policy dialogue with relevant stakeholders that include organised businesses in Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), organised labour in Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC), Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Bank of Industry (BOI) and some industry-promotion states of the Federation. IndustriALL global union organises 50 million manufacturing workers along the global value chains in 140 countries. In Nigeria, affiliate unions of IndustriALL Global Union are drawn from petroleum, gas, chemical, textile and iron and steel sectors. Expected sustainable industrial policy is one critical success goal of our global union.