Date: 2021-06-29

African youths have been urged to change the continent's narrative from a false impression of failure to a working and fast growing region as contained in Africa Union's Agenda 2063 of inclusive growth and sustainable development.

The Vice President Industriall Global Union and Director General (DG) of Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Comrade Issa Aremu, made the appeal while addressing the virtual second Industriall Global Union African region youth zoom conference anchored from Johannesburg South Africa but monitored in Ilorin.

IndustriALL Global Union organises 50 million workers in 140 countries in the mining, energy and manufacturing sectors with affiliate unions in Africa including Nigeria.

Aremu, in his remark at the opening session of the youth conference, charged participants drawn from 60 industrial affiliates unions in Africa "to change the narrative of Africa from despair to hope, from poverty to prosperity, income inequality to fair distribution of wealth to all, banditry and child/students kidnappings to sustainable security and peace".

The DG urged the youth committee of Industriall Global Union to lead the campaign for youth and women inclusion in trade unions and larger society. He advised the youths to "confront xenophobia, drug abuse and corruption which had underdeveloped Africa just as colonialism, imperialism and apartheid. Africa is the world's youngest continent, with almost 60% of population under the age of 25. Youth population is both an opportunity and a challenge for the continent.

"Despite the challenges of Covid-19 pandemic which necessitates another rounds of lockdown in some countries, African youths must make the point that Africa is working not failing. Africa has made progress in democracy and democratisation worthy of celebration. South Africa has witnessed 6 democratic five-year cycle elections. Nigeria has conducted 6 four year presidential elections. Ghana 8 elections.

"Just like other parts of the world, democracy is under attacks in Africa with Mali suffering two military coups in nine months. African youths need to back the demand of ECOWAS that the military returns Mali to democracy which only guarantees freedom for trade unions to thrive. The youths need to reaffirm support for democracy and demand that nobody takes to power without peoples' mandate in Africa."

Aremu called for African solidarity for the people of Myanmar who at enormous costs to lives have risen against the military junta that usurped power since February this year.

He expressed the readiness of Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) Ilorin to up-scale the capacity for African youths for the integration of young workers into trade unions in Africa.