President accepts Africa Industrialisation & Economic Diversification summit invite
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has been invited to attend the African Union Summit on Industrialisation and Economic Diversification set to be held in Niamey, Niger, next month.
Niger’s Minister of Industry and Youth Entrepreneurship, Mrs Salamatou Gourouza Magagi, delivered the special invitation from the West African country’s President Mohamed Bazoum at State House in Harare yesterday.
The high-level summit, which will be held between November 20 and 25, will highlight Africa’s renewed determination and commitment to industrialisation as a central pillar towards the drive to attain development goals set out under Agenda 2063.
Speaking after meeting the President, Mrs Gourouza Magagi said President Mnangagwa had accepted the invitation to the indaba, which will also discuss the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
“I have been sent by my President, His
Excellency Mohamed Bazoum, the President of the Republic of Niger, to deliver a message to the President of Zimbabwe. In this message, the President of Niger is inviting the President of Zimbabwe to participate in the African Union Summit of the Heads of State on the industrialisation of Africa.
“At the same time, they will have a special discussion on the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
Niger, she added, would be honoured to receive President Mnangagwa.
“We are delighted about that and we are waiting with a lot of honour to receive the President of Zimbabwe in Niamey. The summit will be the occasion for the Heads of State and Government to discuss how far they are with the implementation of the free trade area.”
Ms Gourouza Magagi, who is also drumming up support for the summit in the Southern African Development Community, said her next stop was South Africa.
“I came from Zambia and from here I am going to South Africa on the same mission. The summit will take place in Niamey, Niger, on November 25.”
The summit will be convened under the theme “Industrialising Africa: Renewed Commitment Towards an Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialisation and Economic Diversification”. It will be held as part of commemorations of the Africa Industrialisation Week.
According to a press release posted on the AU website, “the Summit aims to rally desired political momentum, resources, partnerships and alliances towards an Africaindustrialisation drive.
“This is along the continent’s resolve to drive structural transformation built around leveraging Africa’s rich and diverse natural resources, while at the same time embracing current advances in technologies, continental and global geo socio-political trends and emergence of tradeable services.”
The continental body intends to reinforce the development of regional industrial value chains and articulate Africa’s quest to industrialise and create jobs as well as entrepreneurship opportunities for Africa’s small and medium enterprises, the youth and women.