Kingsley Job Obasi, a 24-year-old Nigerian, has won the African Union Youth Essay Contest on Industrialization and Innovation in the continent, the AU announced on Wednesday.
Kingsley won the contest for his essay, titled ‘Manufacturing’: The Key to Economic Prosperity and Sustainable Development in Africa.’
The contest targeting young people between the ages of 15 to 35 was intended to harness the energy, creativity, and initiative of the African youth, in promoting a culture of sustainable development in Africa, with a particular focus on industrialization and innovation.
It gave the youth the opportunity to elaborate on the challenges, and recommendations on actions-oriented solutions that would influence the trajectory of industrialization on the continent.
Kingsley was selected the winner from hundreds of applicants from across the continent who responded to the call to share proposals on how the elements of industrialization should be prioritized to enhance synergies with Africa’s development agenda.
In his essay, he articulates how manufacturing can unlock the economic prosperity of the African continent to create a sustainable future for its people.
He argues that when backed by policies that promote growth, manufacturing encourages economic development by providing opportunities for massive job creation, productivity growth, and innovation.
“When I say that manufacturing is key, I mean that it functions like a key—used to either open the economy or to kickstart the engine of development,” Kingsley says.
“Attempting to unlock your front door at home serves as a fantastic illustration. If you really needed to get in, you could try smashing the door in but that would not be the best course of action if you happened to have the key.
“I would argue, based on this reasoning, that manufacturing is central to Africa’s economic growth and sustainable development.”
MG/as/APA