NLC Warns Africa faces unfair trade, debt, and structural challenges, urging industrialisation and self-reliance for sustainable development
The Nigeria Labour Congress has sounded the alarm over Africa’s persistent economic challenges, stating that the continent remains burdened by debt, unfair trade systems, and structural disadvantages.
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Speaking on African Industrialisation Day 2025, NLC Warns Africa that self-reliance and industrial growth are urgently needed to secure sustainable development.
In a statement by Acting General Secretary Benson Upah, the NLC highlighted that Africa’s wealth of natural resources has not translated into meaningful industrial progress.
The statement pointed to “toxic insolvent sovereign debts, manufactured goods dependency, inequitable logistics and services, punitive global trade and financial structures, and outdated technology” as major barriers to growth.
Upah stressed that historical exploitation, ongoing extraction of critical minerals without local value addition, and overreliance on foreign support have stifled the continent’s industrial potential.
He called for stronger regional cooperation, promotion of value-added production, and the protection of labour rights to drive internally-led development.
Referencing Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, Upah urged African nations to take ownership of their industrial future and resist dependence on external assistance.
The NLC also tied industrialisation efforts to climate action, urging world leaders at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, to implement the Belem Action Mechanism, which integrates climate action, just energy transitions, affordable power, and industrial development.
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The Congress concluded that improved governance, accountability, and socio-economic transformation are essential for Africa to realise its industrial ambitions and achieve meaningful growth for its citizens.
