Sustainable industrialization in Africa continues to be constrained by deep structural weaknesses, ranging from a lack of basic infrastructure to insufficient human capital and institutional fragility, warned this Tuesday (23) in Maputo the representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Mozambique, Jaime Comiche, during the 4th General Assembly and International Conference of the Pan-African Welding Federation (TWF).
The event, taking place from June 22 to 24 under the theme “Exploring Sustainable Manufacturing in Africa,” brings together several experts to discuss the challenges of industrial transformation on the continent, with a focus on innovation, the valorization of mineral resources, and the strengthening of technical skills.
In his intervention, Comiche stressed that Africa’s industrialization ambitions remain misaligned with real conditions on the ground, particularly in countries such as Mozambique.
“Africa and, for example, Mozambique, do not have basic infrastructure, starting with electronics, information technology, and electricity. Access to energy is still very limited,” he said.
The UNIDO official warned about the risk of promoting advanced industrialization agendas without ensuring universal access to energy, noting that only a small share of the population currently has access to electricity. “Only 30% of the population has access to electricity in this country. Before we start talking about electricity, we probably need to talk about how to bring electricity to all households in a sustainable way,” he added.
Institutional Fragility and Limits of International Cooperation
Jaime Comiche also highlighted that international organizations, including UNIDO, face structural limitations in supporting industrialization, as they are not mandated to directly implement productive infrastructure projects.
“UNIDO is not mandated to develop agricultural infrastructure. We are not going to build roads, shops, plants, or anything of that sort. What we can do is provide normative support, help build capacity, and strengthen the ecosystem,” he explained.
This framework, according to the official, creates a critical gap between technical planning and the practical execution of industrial development projects, leaving the central responsibility to states.
The debate on industrialization in the continent continues in Maputo as part of the 4th General Assembly and International Conference of the Pan-African Welding Federation, which has highlighted the need to strengthen technological innovation, human capital formation, and local transformation of natural resources as pillars for sustainable industrialization in Africa. Tuesday’s sessions included panels dedicated to Hydrogen-Induced Cracking in Steel Pipelines and Materials, Processes, and Joining Technologies.
Text: Alfredo Ubisse
