By Okettayot Vincent Okema
Within the framework of the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa (1991-2000), the United Nations General Assembly in 1989 proclaimed 20th November “Africa Industrialization Day”.
A day observed to raise awareness about the importance of Africa’s industrialization and the challenges faced by the continent. Industrialization will help African countries achieve high growth rates and diversify economies; substantially contributing to poverty eradication through employment and wealth creation. As we celebrate this day we give cognisance to the growing youth unemployment problem that is causing serious political, economic, and social challenges to African countries and their leadership.
Uganda for example has the youngest population in the world, with 77% being under 30 years of age and over 7,000,000 youth between the ages of 15–24 years. The unemployment rate for youth in Uganda ages 15–24 is 83%. The rate is even higher for those who have degrees in the urban areas due to the disconnect between the degree and the vocational skills needed for the job market. Those without degrees are also not able to obtain jobs because they lack the skills needed for the position or they just don’t have resources such as start-up capital.
The theme for Africa Industrialisation day 2019 is: “Inclusive and sustainable development.” The theme calls on all of us especially the youth to realise that unemployment will be solved by us through industrialisation. Our cotton and coffee were once booming industries but we have now exported these industries and are living on imports- moreover of used clothes.
There are various reasons to justify youth unemployment but there’s also the need to realise that jobs will only come through industrialisation. In Uganda the government has taken moves to encourage and support production of local goods and build industries through programmes like Operation Wealth Creation and Buy-Uganda-Build-Uganda.
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In Northern Uganda, Dr. Amina Hersi Moghe, a real estate entrepreneur and industrialist has taken the bull by its horns by investing in a $120 million sugar factory through her Horyal Investment Company Limited. With 90% of construction works of the Atiak Sugar Factory in Amuru district complete, the government through NAADS signed a UGX 54 billion Memorandum Of Understanding with outgrowers from Gulu, Amuru, Adjumani and Lamwo districts to establish 13,000 acres of out grower sugarcane farms to boost production in preparation of the factory commissioning early next year.
The goal of this memorandum is to eventually transform local outgrower farmers into full-scale commercial farmers, capable kick-starting additional industries around the sugar value chain. This arrangement is part of government’s initiatives to increase youth employment whilst empowering and uplifting this community from the after effects of the war in Northern Uganda.
The factory has the capacity to crush 1,650 tonnes of raw cane daily, producing 66,000 tonnes of sugar annually. The factory will also employ over 1,500 people on top of the current over 10,000 outgrowers contracted through farmer cooperative societies. With leaders steering the nation, we have to take lead roles in building the nation we want to solve social problems like youth employment; and there is no better time than now when we enter a new decade.
Okettayot Vincent Okema is a resident of Atiak District.
