Rwanda will tomorrow join other African states in marking Africa Industrialisation Day.

The Africa Industrialisation Day was declared during the 25th General Session of the Organisation of African Unity and Assembly of Heads of State in July 1989 and reaffirmed by the UN General Assembly on December 22, 1989.

The annual event, which will be celebrated under the theme ‘SME’s for poverty eradication and job creation for women and youth”, focuses on reinforcing efforts towards a sustainable economic growth in Africa, the Minister for Trade and Industry, Francois Kanimba, said.

"Africa Industrialisation Day serves as an important occasion to reflect on the progress made and discuss the required efforts to achieve an inclusive and sustainable industrial development; we would like to celebrate this year’s Africa Industrialisation Day by linking research institutions and manufacturers to help address the issue of skills gaps in the industrial sector,” Kanimba said.

It is also in line with the country’s aspirations to transform into a middle income economy by increasing exports and domestic production, he added.

Claudine Mukeshimana, Rwanda Association of Manufacturers (RAM)’s executive director, says the national celebrations will be held at the Special Economic Zone in Nyandungu, Kigali.

"It is not only an opportunity for the manufacturers to showcase their innovative products but to also share experience and knowledge on how we can fast-track the country’s industrialisation process,” Mukeshimana told The New Times.

The Africa Industrialisation Day is a good opportunity for us to revisit and refine industrialisation process and have it aligned to the country’s economic goals, she added.

Rwanda’s industry sector contributed 14 per cent to the national economy during the second quarter of 2015.

Activities in this sector grew by 10 per cent during the same period, according to figures from the National institute of Statistics Rwanda (NSIR).

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