Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on Nigeria

APO News from Africa:

Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on Nigeria:

We welcome the release of an additional 82 of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by the Boko Haram insurgent group in April 2014.
 

We remain deeply concerned about the safety and wellbeing of the schoolgirls and other victims still in captivity.

We appeal to all Nigerians, including the families and local communities of the liberated girls, to fully embrace them and provide all necessary support to ensure their reintegration into society. We also urge the international community to continue supporting the Government of Nigeria in its efforts to ensure the release, rehabilitation and reintegration of all Boko Haram victims.

We also call for the provision of urgent financial support to prevent the worsening of the food security situation in the northeast of Nigeria and other parts of the Lake Chad Basin, and reiterate the continued commitment of the United Nations in this regard. 

Distributed by APO on behalf of United Nations – Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Source: APO – Africa-Newsroom: latest news releases related to Africa

IPAP Is Critical to Radical Economic Transformation – Minister Davies:

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies says the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) is critical to achieving Radical Economic Transformation. Minister Davies was speaking at the launch of the ninth iteration of IPAP which took place in Sandton today.

IPAP is firmly entrenched in government’s overall policy and plans to address the key challenges of economic and industrial growth and race based poverty, inequality and unemployment. The plan, which is a key component of the Nine Point Plan, aims to develop a more competitive and diversified economy with a higher global share of products.

Emphasising the importance that government attaches to Radical Economic Transformation and inclusive growth for the SA economy, Minister Davies outlined new initiatives that are part of concerted efforts to shift the productive base of the economy in order to create decent and sustainable jobs.

“In the simplest terms, Radical Economic Transformation means putting coherent initiatives together that can begin to shift the productive base of our economy away from the inherited colonial division of labour and create decent sustainable jobs – particularly for the most marginalised and vulnerable groups in our society. It means unequivocal and urgent support for programmes such as the Black Industrialists Programme, which are increasingly being strengthened and deepened, to ensure that ownership, management and control of the economy is increasingly in the hands of black people,” said Minister Davies.

He added unless South Africa secured the necessary steps towards structural change in the economy and secure much higher levels of investment in the productive sectors of the economy, Radical Economic Transformation may become a hollow phrase and a moveable feast for any manner of ill-considered economic recipes.

“Radical Economic Transformation is essential. But it is not about quick fixes and big bangs. It is hard, painstaking work. It needs pragmatism. It requires dialogue. It requires policy certainty and programme alignment. It requires a collaborative effort with the private sector. It needs a willingness to accept trade-offs and sacrifices that can deliver social consent and stability,” said Minister Davies.

He identified Radical Economic Transformation as one of the focus areas and key priorities of IPAP 2017/18-2019/20. This will comprise of upscaled efforts to secure shared and inclusive growth with respect to transformation of ownership and management control; empowerment through decent jobs, especially in labour-intensive sectors.

Minister Davies also stressed the need for a step-change to secure a higher impact, lazer-focussed industrial strategy which can secure much higher levels of investment, especially in manufacturing, to lead the country’s economy out of its current trajectory and to address poverty, unemployment and inequality.

He added that IPAP 2017/18-2019/20 will focus on the following key themes which inform the work both of the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) and act as a roadmap in general for the industrial effort:

• Growing the economy by working closely with the private sector to secure and support investment in a modernised and competitive manufacturing and export sector.
• Strengthening efforts to raise aggregate domestic demand, mainly through localisation of public procurement and intensified efforts to persuade the private sector to support localisation and local supplier development.  
• Stepping up South Africa’s export effort, with a focus on key existing exporters, emerging export-ready firms and strong support for new black industrial entrepreneurs.
• Strengthening ongoing efforts to build a less concentrated, more competitive economic and manufacturing structure in which barriers to entry for new entrants are lowered.  
• Pressing ahead with technology-intensive, value-adding beneficiation projects which fully leverage SA’s comparative resource endowment advantage into a global competitive advantage. 
• Optimising technology transfer and diffusion and a greater effort, working closely with the Department of Science and Technology to commercialise ‘home-grown’ R&D in key sectors.     
• Supporting the further strengthening of energy-efficient production and carbon mitigation efforts and measures in a manner that allows for sustainable adaptation by all the energy-intensive sectors of the economy.  
• Ensuring that the foreseeable effects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and emergent disruptive technologies are understood, and adapt SA’s productive and services sectors to meet the challenges, including those relating to employment displacement.

Distributed by APO on behalf of The Department of Trade and Industry, South Africa.

Source: APO – Africa-Newsroom: latest news releases related to Africa

Kagame and African ministers of foreign affairs meet to put reforms in action:

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, his AU reform advisory team and close to 40 African Ministers of Foreign Affairs met yesterday in Kigali, Rwanda, to discuss the implementation of the African Union (AU) reforms adopted in January 2017.   

In July 2016, at the 27th African Union Summit, member States of the AU entrusted President Paul Kagame of Rwanda with the mandate to lead the African Union reforms to enable the Union to better meet its mission’s goal and truly serve African citizens.

In January 2017, the proposed reforms were accepted by all Head of States and Governments. The reforms aim to make the AU more efficient politically, operationally and financially, so that the African multilateral organisation is better positioned to meet its mandate to member states and African citizens.

The African leaders are committing themselves to: 

• Focusing on key priorities to ensure that the AU efforts are not dispersed and that the AU is focused on priorities that will make a real difference to African citizens. This will also enable a clear division of labour between the AU and member states.
• Realigning the AU institutions to deliver against these priorities and ensure that the Union Commission structures, organs, and specialised technical agencies focus on the agreed priorities.
• Managing the AU efficiently at both political and operational levels, to allow the members to create an efficient and effective Commission staffed by the best African professionals. This would also strengthen the working methods of the AU Summit to improve the quality and impact of decision-making whilst ensuring the timely implementation of Assembly decisions; and
• Financing the AU  and sustainably to strengthen the African Union’s financial management and accountability. 

Distributed by APO on behalf of Consultative Meeting on African Union Reforms, Kigali.

Media contact:
Mimi Kalinda
MKalinda@AfricaCommunicationsGroup.com 

Source: APO – Africa-Newsroom: latest news releases related to Africa