October 08, (THEWILL) – Deputy Secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), Amina Mohammed, has said Nigeria stands to benefit greatly from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which will improve the quality of goods and services and increase Nigeria’s competitiveness both in national and international markets.
Mohammed stated this at a high-level conversation on industrialization and sustainable development, organized by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), with the theme: ‘Industrialization A Pathway To Achieving The Sustainable Development Goals’.
She said inclusive and sustainable industrial development is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which lie at the heart of economic growth and creating decent jobs in Nigeria.
According to Mohammed, “COVID-19 has derailed the progress across all the 17 SDGs in 2020, about 124 million were pushed back to poverty and some 255 million jobs were lost worldwide. Therefore sustainable recovery must be guided by the SDGs and the UN stands ready to support Nigeria in harnessing industry and making progress towards the goals.”
She stressed that MAN’s support would be crucial to ensuring Nigeria takes profit in the fourth industrial revolution through the circular economy and efficient use of resources to reach zero waste as called for by SDG 7, 9 and 12 to achieve its 2030 agenda.
The directing staff, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, also stressed the need for Nigeria to creatively confront and resolve the country’s high consumption culture against its minimal production capacity.
Olaopa called for greater adoption of clean, green and environment friendly industrial processes reliant on alternative energy sources to save the planet.
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