Labour rallies support for Dangote refinery’s completion
Members of the organised labour have declared support for the Dangote Refinery project, describing it as an investment that will define the future of Nigeria and the African continent.
Leaders of trade unions of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) such as Textile, Chemical, Electricity, Automobile, Engineering as well as Petroleum and Gas, who are affiliates of international labour platform, called IndustriALL Global Union commended Dangote on the size of the refinery project.
President of National Union of Chemical Rubber Leather and Non-Metalic Products Employees (NUCFRILAMPE) and Chairman of the Nigerian Council of IndusriALL Global Union, Babatunde Goke Olatunji, said the investment patriotism of Aliko Dangote is unparalleled and disclosed that labour has recommended Dangote to the United Nations as Africa Industrial Development Ambassador.
He explained that the labour leaders were motivated to give their views to newsmen on their findings on the Dangote Refinery after a working tour of the project in Lagos, because of its massive potential job opportunities and economic benefits upon completion, which is what labour was after.
Their visit to the refinery, according to him, was in tandem with the industrial development sustainability goal of the global union. The union also has, as part of the goals, the defence of workers right, building union power, fighting against precarious work conditions and engaging capital.
“To our amazement, we couldn’t move round the entire refinery and the fertilizer sites because of the huge size which is eight times bigger than the present Victoria Island. Upon completion, the refinery alone is capable of employing directly 300,000 workers while the fertilizer plant will attract about 5000 direct jobs. This is highly welcome in view of the present jobs-depleting economy of Nigeria.
“With the present policies and efforts towards the diversification of Nigeria’s economy, the fertilizer plant shall encourage and enhance agricultural sector in no small measure as there shall be massive food production while cash crops shall equally constitute raw materials for our manufacturing sector and for exportation.
Nigeria urgently needs to industrialize by evolving good economic and industrial policies that will encourage investment culture of individuals”, Olatunji stated.
Olatunji disclosed that the union has recommended Aliko Dangote for the award of Industrial Development Ambassador (IDA) by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
In his remark, the immediate past secretary of the textile workers union, who is the Vice President, IndustriALL Global Union (IGU), Africa, Issa Aremu, maintained that for Africa to move forward, Africa must trade in goods produced locally to stimulate competitiveness within the region, which exactly is the approach of the Dangote Group.
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