Bakole Commends EU For Partnering UNIDO To Promote Industrial Development In Nigeria, ECOWAS  

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Representative to ECOWAS and Regional Director, Nigeria Regional Office Hub, Jean Bakole, has commended the European Union (EU) for  partnering  UNIDO to  promote  inclusive and sustainable economic and industrial development in Nigeria and the ECOWAS Sub-region.

Bakole gave the commendation at the 7th EU-Nigeria Business Forum in Lagos, themed “Building Partnerships For Growth And Job Creation.”

Bakole said, “I want to commend the EU for building and sustaining an excellent relationship and partnership with UNIDO and the ECOWAS sub-region. As the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development in developing countries and economies in transition for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability, UNIDO achieves its mandate by creating shared prosperity, advancing economic competitiveness, safeguarding the environment, and strengthening knowledge and institutions.

“UNIDO promotes Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID) which contributes to the achievement of regional and global initiatives such as the Agenda 2063 of the African Union Commission and the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations with the associated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular the  Goal 9, which aims at building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation. In our on-going efforts towards  achieving  our mandate, UNIDO has enjoyed the strong partnership and support  of the EU both at the global level and in Nigeria.”

He added, “Currently, UNIDO is implementing a National Quality Infrastructure Project (NQIP) in Nigeria for which the EU has graciously provided Euro 12 Million to support the implementation. Within the framework of this project, UNIDO is providing support to the Government of Nigeria to develop a National Quality Policy and the conduit of excellence for zero-reject of Nigeria’s trade in commodities. Also, as part of the EU-funded NQIP, we have built a National Metrology Institute in Enugu, in collaboration with the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON). This is in addition to setting up the Nigeria National Accreditation Service (NiNAS).

“Also, we have raised consumers’ awareness on their rights to demand for quality in their consumption of goods and services. In the same vein, we are working with the private sector to promote quality and build capacity for high quality manufacturing in Nigeria. At the ECOWAS Sub-regional level, the EU is also funding the West Africa Competitiveness Programme, of which UNIDO is an implementing agency.”

In order to create more jobs for Nigeria’s growing population, the UNIDO Regional Director underscored the need for stronger alliances between local industries and their foreign counterparts.

He said, “There is an urgent need to intensify partnerships, alliances and cooperation between domestic industries on the one hand and foreign industries on the other hand. A strong domestic industrial base is a prerequisite for attracting foreign capital. Foreign investors will normally base their decision to invest in a country on availability of a vibrant business environment where they can easily find domestic partners to work with. This underscores the need to deeply develop strategic plans that can contribute to the growth and development of domestic businesses in Nigeria. In this regard, building partnerships that can promote inclusive and sustainable economic  growth and job creation is non-negotiable