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World Bank Pushing China to Open Factories in Africa
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – The World Bank has opened talks with Chinese trade officials in an effort to bring labor-intensive manufacturing jobs to Africa, the Wall Street Journal reported last week.
With the number of jobs falling steeply for Africa’s displaced and jobless farmers, the Bank is aiming to persuade the Asian giant to relocate at least 5 million jobs.
There are currently 85 million “low-value” manufacturing jobs (cheap clothing, toys and electronics) in China, out of a population of 1.3 billion, and only 10 million “low value” jobs in all of Africa, population one billion.
“For decades, Africans have produced what they do not consume and consumed what they do not produce,” observed Andrew Rugasira, a Ugandan entrepreneur, speaking to the Journal.
While manufacturing in China has “peaked,” according to some experts, jobs have been moving not to Africa but to other Asian countries, such as Vietnam and Bangladesh. Africa accounts for just 1% of global manufacturing, compared with Asia’s 25%, according to the WSJ.
Meanwhile, China has embarked on a vocational school-building project in Rwanda. The school will offer classes in construction and building services (plumbing and welding), agriculture, ICT and electronics.
The school will offer training in construction, plumbing &welding, agriculture and food processing (especially in bamboo, meat and fruit processing), ICT and electronics. It is scheduled to open in 2013.
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