Labour urges FG to activate NIRP
The Federal Government has been urged to the implement the National Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) launched in 2014 to revive industrial growth in the country.
Labour leader, and Vice President (Africa), of IndustriAll Global Union, Comrade Issa Aremu, said at a news conference recently in Abuja, that there was no need for the government to draw up another plan as the NIRP captured all major sectors of the economy and is capable of tackling the nation’s industrial need.
He said major stakeholders in the country met and agreed on the plan, pointing out that Nigeria and indeed Africa were not short of development policies, but lacked the will to implement these development policies which, he said, were wasting away in government shelves.
He said it was time for the government to walk its talk, especially in the area of power generation, pointing out that no industrialization can take place without adequate power supply.
Lamenting the state of industrialization in Africa, Aremu said it was unfortunate that decades after independence, Africa nations still exported their raw materials instead of adding value to them by processing these raw materials locally in other to generate employment and create wealth.
Aremu who addressed the press as part of activities to mark the 2016 Africa industrialization day said: “Right now, we still export our raw materials and import finished goods. The whole idea is to lead to add value to our raw materials. We also need to draw attention to the electricity problem on the continent and in Nigeria in particular.
“Nigeria is suffering from power poverty. How can about 180 million people generate 5000 megawatts? Africa is poor in terms of power supply and so, we have to build more power plants.”
He said that to mark the 2016 Africa Industrialisation day, the union will march for industrialization, job creation, revival of the textiles industries, the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, among others.
He said that with over 50 million members worldwide, the IndustriAll Global Union has less than one million members in Africa because of the state of manufacturing on the continent.
