Growth must lift Nigerians, other Africans out of poverty — ITUC-Africa

•Faults Nigeria’s planned removal of subsidy on electricity

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

NAIROBI, Kenya — Organised Labour through the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC-Africa, has called on Nigeria and other African governments to ensure that industrialisation translates into improved living standards for workers and ordinary citizens.

According to ITUC-Africa, economic growth must lift Nigerians and other Africans out of poverty rather than deepen inequality, frowning at Nigeria’s government plans to remove subsidy on electricity.

Delivering his opening remarks at the “New Energy for Africa 11 Convening: African Workers’ Contributions to Energy Sovereignty, Green Industrialization, and a Common African for COP31″, General Secretary of ITUC-Africa, Akhator Joel Odigie, said industrialisation remains central to Nigeria and Africa’s liberation and development agenda but warned that it would be meaningless if it failed to improve the welfare of the continent’s people.