In a significant development, the Federal Government of Nigeria has expressed its keen interest in collaborating with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to promote industrialisation and combat unemployment in the country.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola revealed this during a meeting with UNIDO representatives at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
In response to UNIDO’s offer of partnership, Oyetola affirmed the ministry’s readiness to join hands with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in formulating an industrialisation roadmap. This roadmap aims to generate more employment opportunities in the marine and blue economy sector, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
This consensus emerged from the meeting between the two organisations held at the ministry’s conference hall in Abuja.
During the meeting, the minister acknowledged UNIDO’s pivotal role in promoting sustainable economic development in various regions. He praised the successful collaborations UNIDO has fostered with other countries and shared his personal experiences from his tenure as chief of administration and later as governor in Osun State.
“I must commend you for the wonderful partnerships that have existed between our various states and UNIDO,” he acknowledged.
Furthermore, the minister lauded Tinubu for establishing the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, emphasising its core mission to create jobs and maximise resource utilisation for growth.
“The best approach is to develop an industrial sector to ensure that we can produce products of the highest quality, enabling our products to compete on a global scale,” he added.
Oyetola emphasised the ministry’s commitment to environmental sustainability and expressed his willingness to collaborate with UNIDO in areas that will benefit the Nigerian populace.
He also highlighted the importance of food security as one of the pillars of the current administration and confirmed that the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has received a mandate from the President to make a meaningful contribution to this goal.
The minister encouraged UNIDO to invest in fishing and assured the safety and regulation of fishing activities and other elements with the potential to boost the nation’s economy, thereby protecting the individuals who depend on marine resources.
He emphasised that the ministry would work in tandem with UNIDO to foster technological and entrepreneurial development, harnessing institutions for the socio-economic advancement of the country.
UNIDO’s Ambassador to ECOWAS and regional director for the Nigeria office, Jean Bakole stressed the importance of supporting projects in areas of technical assistance. He identified key areas of focus as research and statistics, agro-industry for production and manufacturing, innovation to create job opportunities, and marine waste management.
Bakole also underlined UNIDO’s capacity to provide opportunities for investors and technology suppliers, fostering potential partnerships, and delivering unique services to entrepreneurs and business institutions that are integrated into global networks.
