The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a sharp rebuke of global economic powers, warning that Africa remains burdened by toxic debts, predatory trade systems and the lingering effects of colonial exploitation.
The statement came as African countries marked the 2025 African Industrialisation Day, with the NLC urging the continent to take charge of its economic future.
Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Benson Upah, said despite Africa’s vast mineral wealth and historical contributions to global industrial growth, the continent continues to sit at the bottom of the global socio-economic ladder.
“Africa continues to be the global recipient of toxic insolvent sovereign debts, manufactured goods, punitive trade and financial architecture, and outdated technology,” Upah said.
He added that the world’s zero-sum approach to Africa’s industrial ambitions persists, despite the continent’s “priceless mineral resources” and its “unquantifiable contributions” — including innovations, mismanaged patents, and centuries of unpaid labour extracted through slavery.
Upah urged African nations to abandon the search for external saviours and instead build regional solidarity, deepen intra-African trade, and prioritise value addition and labour rights.
“Kwame Nkrumah charged us many years ago: we cannot afford to agonise; we must organise. African countries must stop looking for a Messiah from elsewhere. We alone are our own Messiah,” he said.
He linked Africa’s industrialisation drive to global climate efforts, calling on leaders at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, to prioritise the Belem Action Mechanism (BAM), which connects climate justice, affordable energy, just transitions and industrial growth.
The NLC maintained that good governance, accountable leadership and a focus on socio-economic transformation are essential to securing the continent’s industrial future.
“Through responsible leadership and prioritisation of socio-economic development, we can make the coming decade the decade of Africa’s industrialisation,” Upah said.
