Call to create labour-intensive programmes

PROFESSOR Wellington Thwala of the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, on Wednesday said the creation of more labour- intensive programmes in African countries can help eradicate unemployment and poverty on the continent.He explained that since such programmes have labour as its dominant resource for carrying out work, employment will be created thereby improving income distribution, housing and enhancing the living conditions of people.Prof Thwala said this at the first “Applied Research Conference in Africa” (ARCA) at Elmina, organized by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Alumni in collaboration with its Cape Coast Polytechnic Branch.The three day conference, which is aimed at providing a platform for capacity building and networking among researchers in Africa, is being attended by researchers from African countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya South Africa, as well as Europe and Asia.Prof Thwala said the labour- intensive programme is not new to Africa stating that a 12,000km of rural access roads have been constructed and that over 80,000 man years of employment have been created in Kenya all through the programme, adding that, Tunisia, Botswana and Morocco have benefited.