麻豆传媒

Two women working at an engineering company
Two former students of the Zambian Industrial Training Academy, established with the support of UNIDO and other partners, work today at an engineering company.
Photo:UNIDO

Industrialization for Development

Industrial development is of critical importance for sustained and inclusive economic growth in African countries. Industry can enhance productivity, increase the capabilities of the workforce, and generate employment, by introducing new equipment and new techniques. Industrialization, with strong linkages to domestic economies, will help African countries achieve high growth rates, diversify their economies and reduce their exposure to external shocks. This will substantially contribute to poverty eradication through employment and wealth creation.

In July 1989, the Organization of African Unity (O.A.U.) conducted its 25th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Africa Industrialization Day was announced on November 20 during this session. Within the framework of the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa (1991-2000), the United Nations General Assembly, in December 1989, proclaimed 20 November “Africa Industrialization Day” (). Since then, the United Nations System has held events on that day throughout the world to raise awareness about the importance of Africa’s industrialization and the challenges faced by the continent.

 

Africa Industrialization Week 2025

 

Since 2018, Africa Industrialization Day has been commemorated with weeklong events. This year, Africa Industrialization Week will be held in Kampala, Uganda, from 17–21 November 2025, under the theme “Transforming Africa’s Economy through Sustainable Industrialization, Regional Integration and Innovation.” The theme underscores the centrality of sustainable industrialization, regional integration, and innovation in advancing Africa’s structural transformation agenda.

Held on the margins of Africa Industrialization Week, the 4th Edition of the African Women in Processing Forum (AWIP) and the 1st African Youth Start-ups Forum will provide dedicated platforms to empower women-led enterprises and youth innovators, strengthen value chain participation, and catalyse partnerships and investment opportunities across the continent.

 

Agenda 2063:

, adopted in January 2015 by the Heads of States and Governments of the African Union in Addis Ababa, is Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future.

Based on , it is the continent’s strategic framework that aims to deliver on its goal for inclusive and sustainable development ?and is a concrete manifestation of the pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity pursued under Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance.

The need to envision a long-term 50-year development trajectory for Africa is important as Africa needs to revise and adapt its development agenda due to ongoing structural transformations to ensure inclusive growth, sustainable development, political unity, and respect for democracy and human rights.

Agenda 2063 and the SDGs are intertwined as the two programmes aims at a more sustainable common future on a healthy planet.

 

Publications

UNCTAD

UN Economic Commission for Africa

UNIDO

World Bank

 

Additional links

 

The  examines how African economies can strengthen resilience to trade risks caused by interconnected shocks across political, economic, energy, technological and climate fronts. The report calls for stronger intra-African trade, strategic investments in transport and technology infrastructure, bolder economic reforms and better use of innovative financial tools. The report also provides a blueprint to reduce dependence on external markets, expand regional trade networks and leverage the continent’s young population, abundant resources and growing markets to unlock the $3.4 trillion potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

On 25 July 2016, the United Nations General Assembly 2016-2025 as the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III). was tasked with leading the implementation of the Decade, in collaboration with a range of partners. The vision for the implementation of IDDA III is to firmly anchor Africa on a path towards inclusive and sustainable industrial development.

an abstract illustration of people engaged in an event

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.