Third African Welding Federation Annual Assembly and Int’l Conference Kicks Off

Addis Ababa, April 14, 2025 (ENA)— The 3rd African Welding Federation Annual Assembly and International Conference, a crucial gathering that would serve as a platform for exploration of cutting-edge advancements in materials manufacturing technologies, kicked off today in Addis Ababa.

A three-day conference is being held at Adwa Memorial Museum under the theme, "Empowering Africa: Strengthening Welding Capacity for Regional Integration and Global Competitiveness."

Discussion in the conference is highly anticipated to center on how these advancements can improve practical applications across the continent.

Speaking at the opening session of the conference, Ethiopia’s Minister of Water and Energy Eng. Habtamu Itefa emphasized the importance of technology, knowledge, and experience in addressing Africa’s manufacturing sector challenges.

Habtamu stressed that integrating knowledge, experience, and technology is essential to achieving shared goals.

 

 He also highlighted the critical role of vocational education for youth, urging young welders to develop hands-on skills.

"Relying solely on external markets will not lead us to our desired future. Therefore, it is vital to learn from one another and share experiences," he said.

He noted that Ethiopia is playing a leading role in welding training, adding that the water and energy sector particularly requires skilled welders in various areas.

Additionally, he stated that the conference presents a unique opportunity to enhance regional and international collaboration in the welding sector.

On his part, Welding Federation Africa President, Hamed Abdelaleem said the conference aimed to create a stronger and united Africa that can compete globally through innovation, skill development and collaboration.

He emphasized the importance of welding for industrialization, infrastructure projects and manufacturing industries like automotive, construction and mining.

Demand for skilled welders continues to outpace supply across Africa, according to him.

The third African Welding Federation Annual Assembly and international conference therefore is meant to address the demand by fostering regional collaboration, pooling, resources, sharing expertise and creating standardized certifications.

Thus, the Welding Federation of Africa has been working to empower member states through skill development programs, policy support and industry-care networks, he stated; noting that progress has been made in various locations.

State Minister of Labor and Skills, Teshale Berecha said that assembly is critical for sharing knowledge and experiences among African welding experts and professionals.

 

He added that Africa has immense opportunities to enhance welding sectors to promote industrial development in the continent, urging for strong partnership and aligning efforts across Africa.

In this respect, Ethiopia is open and committed to technical collaboration with fellow African nations, he emphasized.

Moreover, the conference serves as a platform to enhance regional collaboration in welding with the goal of improving both continental and global competitiveness, Ethiopia’s Technical and Vocational Training Institute Director General, Biruk Kedir underscored.

 

He further highlighted the critical role of welding in supporting the industrial development of Ethiopia and Africa's broader emergence as a global manufacturing hub.

The director general stressed the need for the welding sector focusing on harmonization of skills standards, promoting regional cooperation for technology transfer and the empowerment of young professionals with future-ready welding competitiveness.