UNIDO eyes innovation to accelerate industrial growth in Africa

NAIROBI, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) — African countries should leverage innovations and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence to hasten industrial growth, as well as tackle poverty, unemployment and inequality, a United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) official said Tuesday.
Tally Einav, the UNIDO representative to Kenya, Eritrea, South Sudan, Seychelles and Comoros, said that for African nations to sustain industrialization, harnessing local innovations, and sharing of best practices and skills development is critical.
Speaking at a forum here ahead of the African Industrialization Week, which will be held in Kampala, Uganda, from Nov. 25 to 29, Einav said the continent is on the cusp of an industrial takeoff that promises shared prosperity, competitiveness of locally manufactured goods and job creation.
“We acknowledge that industrialization is vital to addressing socioeconomic challenges including poverty, unemployment and inequality,” Einav said.
Sustainable industrialization must be at the core of Africa’s efforts to meet the sustainable development goals and achieve the aspirations of Agenda 2063, she added.
This year’s Africa Industrialization Week will be held under the theme of “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Green Industrialization to Accelerate Africa’s Structural Transformation.”
Einav said that multilateral institutions have rallied behind the continent’s industrialization agenda that seeks to boost value addition and exports besides injecting vitality into supply chains.
According to Einav, harnessing innovations and cleaner technologies will ensure that Africa’s industrialization agenda promotes climate response, inclusive growth and intra-continental trade.
She observed that the AU Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area are roots for value addition, cross-border trade and strengthening regional value chains to accelerate growth.
Developing a robust indigenous manufacturing sector is paramount to cushion African countries from disruptions in the global supply chains occasioned by geopolitical tensions and climatic shocks, Einav said, who suggested African countries should diversify their industrial base by leveraging their vast natural resources endowment alongside youth bulge and growing middle class.
She also called for investments in supportive infrastructure and skills development while roping in the private sector to foster innovation and competitiveness in the continent’s industrial sector. ■