The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment have awarded the  National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Worker of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), affiliate union of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) with an houour in recognition of her role and contribution to the Industrial Development of Nigeria. The union is among other notable Nigerian corporate organizations honoured as part of the activities to commemorate the 23rd edition of the Africa Industrialization Day (AID) in Nigeria held at the National Centre for Women Development Abuja on Wednesday 20th November 2013.

Presenting the award,  UNIDO Country representative to Nigeria and West Africa, Dr. Patrick Koromawa said the union was honoured  based on her commitment for re-Industrialization in Nigeria in particular and her  campaign and advocacy for the revival of the Textile Industry and manufacturing sector. The award was received by the Union’s President Comrade Oladele Hunsu on behalf of the union.

Comrade Issa Aremu mni, the General Secretary of National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Worker of Nigeria in his remarks said that African Industrialization Day is a significant day to stimulate discussion and policy actions to promote industrialization in the continent. He observed that Africa cannot afford to be exporting its raw materials without adding value to them.  He stated that it was time Africa puts an end to unemployment through aggressive Industrialization drive. He singled out Alhaji Alilko Dangote as the new African re-industrializer.  “Undoubtedly the richest man in the continent, but what increasingly marks Aliko out,” he noted, “was his commitment to value addition and beneficiation to the abundant raw materials in the continent”, citing the unprecedented investment of $9billion in oil refinery and petrochemical complex in Nigeria by Dangote Group. “The refinery located at the Olokola Liquefied Natural Gas (OKLNG) Free Trade Zone in Nigeria would be Nigeria’s first private and Africa’s largest petroleum refinery, with a projected daily production output of 400,000 barrels a day, the same capacity of the combined 4 Nigerian government-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna”.