Comrade Issa Aremu, the Governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP) in Kwara State in 2019 elections has promised to “re-industrialize” the state if elected into office. He made this known at separate activities making this year’s Africa Industrialization Day (AID) in both the capital city of Abuja, Nigeria and the industrial city of Johannesburg, South Africa during the week.
In 1989 United Nations Development Organization (UNIDO) declared November 20th the Africa Industrialization Day (AID) to raise awareness about Industrialization in Africa. The 2018 broad is: “Promoting regional value chains in Africa: A pathway for accelerating Africa’s structural transformation, industrialization and pharmaceutical production.” It was observed last Tuesday on 4th of December in Nigeria and last on Friday 7th December in South Africa.
In his Good-will message to the Abuja celebration jointly organized by UNIDO and Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Comrade Aremu who is also the Vice President of Geneva based IndustriALL Global Union observed that “Industry is a key driver of sustainable jobs and development for national economies and the foundation of good living standards”. He told the occasion attended by Honorable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Elema Okechukwu and Minister of State, Aisha Abubakar as well as captains of industry that it was time Africa stopped exporting raw cottons, crude oil, mineral resources, gold and diamond only to be importing finished goods from China, Europe and America. “With large small or medium scale enterprises, Africa must consume products it produces not imported or smuggled as it is the case in Nigeria today” he said.
He regretted that while three original states, namely Rivers, Kano and Lagos set up in 1967 with Kwara state, are among the top 10 high GDP states, “Kwara ranks 28th on the ranking of states by GDP beaten to it by even newest states like, Imo, Edo and Oyo states.” Comrade Aremu said under LP governance, Kwara would return to the path of productivity through re-industrialization and mass decent jobs adding that at inception, Kwara under Brigadier General Bamigboye was the fastest growing state with bold Development Plan through Kwara State First Development Plan (1970 – 74/75) in May, 1970 (within the context of the country’s second National Development Plan (1970 – 1975) and Second Kwara State Development Plan (1975 – 1980).
While lamenting that most industries in Kwara state have closed down with loss of thousands of direct jobs for the youths, he promised to again lay “the foundations for accelerated economic growth, increased productivity in agriculture by providing favourable climate for industrial development and improving the quality of life of the people through the provision of necessary infrastructure”.
“Kwara “he added “must return to development planning as the founding fathers of the state did.”
In South Africa, where he chaired the deliberation as the Vice Chairman of IndustriaAll, Comrade Aremu decried the current situation whereby millions of unemployed youths in African labour market annually make themselves what he called “voluntary slaves” in Europe and America. He suggested that with as many as 1.2 billion population in Africa only industry can provide sustainable jobs and living wages and necessary revenues for government to provide the needed infrastructure for development.
It was resolved that for Africa to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 2030, especially SDG 9 dealing with industry and innovation Africa continent must innovate and industrialize.
South African session was attended by representatives of affiliate unions from host South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Senegal, Mozambique, Codevoire, Ethiopia and Mauritius. The Assistant General Secretary, Comrade Kemal Ozkan, of Geneva based Industriall global union, presidents and general secretaries of all affiliates unions attended.
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