At the opening of the 1st TWF Africa Annual Assembly and Conference in Cairo on March 14, 2023, TWF President John Tarboton presented the welcome and the annual report for the Federation’s 2022-2023 year. African Fusion reports.
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“It is my pleasure to welcome you all to the Inaugural General Assembly and International Conference of The Welding Federation, with the theme “Welding and Allied Processes – Blueprint Africa. This conference marks a significant milestone in our journey towards promoting and advancing the art and science of welding in Africa and beyond,” began John Tarboton, SAIW executive director and TWF president for the 2022 year.
“As the President of The Welding Federation, I am proud to represent a dynamic and forward-thinking organisation dedicated to advancing the welding industry in Africa. Our goal is to provide a platform for professionals in the welding industry to network, share knowledge, and collaborate towards achieving sustainable development through welding.
“The theme for this conference, ‘Welding and Allied Processes - Blueprint Africa,’ could not be more timely. The African continent is rapidly developing, and the role of welding in this development cannot be overemphasised. Welding has become an essential tool in various industries, including construction, manufacturing, and oil and gas. It is, therefore, imperative that we come together to explore ways to optimise the use of welding technology to drive economic growth and development in Africa,” he said.
There have been numerous challenges faced by organisations worldwide in 2022, including recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the resultant global inflation problem. This has led to higher interest rates that have dampened global growth rates. In addition, the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is a threat to many countries in Africa. “We must ensure this is a just transition and that the process is managed carefully to minimise any negative impacts on our continent,” he added.
Despite the potential advantage of Africa’s growing population, the corresponding challenges are mass unemployment and a gross lack of infrastructure. “The fact is, there is an urgent need for Africa to think differently and innovatively. We need to move away from long-standing survival tactics to a cohesive developmental strategy to address our centuries’ old socio-economic limitations. We need to harness the collective strength of Africa to address these challenges,” Tarboton urged conference delegates.
“This is the model that we, as TWF, have adopted to build our success in 2022. We have responded positively to Africa’s call for a solutions platform to drive and manage our industrial interests. A solutions platform that complements and not necessarily competes with international benchmarks. A solutions platform that accurately enmeshes the African ideal and identity and emphasises the need to build skills, create opportunities, and sustain the productivity of manufacturing industries.”
He reported that in 2022, despite the lack of funds, TWF was able to achieve most of its programmes and projects. Impressively, TWF through the committed effort of members, followed through with its road map to provide quality solutions in terms of human and corporate capacities.
“In 2022, TWF made significant progress. Our successes include forging partnerships such as signing an SLA with the SAIW to promote and jointly implement ISO 3834 company certification schemes as a vehicle to growing quality and improving productivity across manufacturing industries in Africa.
“TWF also successfully onboarded PETAN – the Petroleum Technology of Nigeria. And we were able to enter into partnership with the biggest energy conference and exhibition in Africa through our embrace of PETAN onto the Board of TWF. This led to our participation in the recent SAIPEC event – the Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference.
“In terms of membership, we are proud to have welcomed Uganda and Cameroon to the TWF family, and we look forward to working closely with them and our other members to advance our mission. Furthermore, TWF is committed to providing quality solutions in terms of human and corporate capacities. Thanks to the commitment of experts in each of TWF’s TNB committees, the welder and fitter syllabuses and implementation structures were developed and successfully concluded.
“We have developed the TWF Welding Inspection Certification Scheme and structure, which we plan to launch soon. This programme is a noteworthy accomplishment for our organisation, and we are confident it will initiate significant progress in Africa’s industrial sector,” said the TWF president.
In 2022, TWF participated in key regional events including the TWF SDG event in Cameroon, the TWF Regional Symposium in Egypt, TWF’s participation in WAITRO conference, TWF’s participation at the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria, OGTAN’s Technical Industry Lecture and the TWF Regional Symposium in Uganda were other successes.
“As we look ahead to 2023, TWF is committed to participating in key events across Africa and beyond, including the Sub-Saharan Petroleum International Exhibition and Conference and the IIW Annual Assembly and Conference. We are also excited about the launch of our Welding Inspection Certification Scheme, which we believe will be instrumental in promoting the art and science of welding in Africa.
“In 2023, we will also look to working with the International Institute of Welding (IIW). We are looking to find synergies between TWF and IIW so TWF schemes complement IIW schemes in Africa within the TWF Skill Management Map. We hope, going forward, that the relationship with IIW and TWF will grow to further our mutual interests,” said Tarboton.
“2023 holds much promise for Africa as we work together, albeit with challenges in view. TWF remains committed to promoting and advancing the welding industry in Africa, and we look forward to a bright future ahead.
“In closing, I would like to acknowledge the TWF management team for their hard work and contribution over the past year.
“I would particularly like to thank and congratulate our Executive Director, Mr Ayo Ardeniyi, for his tireless efforts in launching TWF and driving the developments that we see here today.
“And so, over the next few days, we will have the opportunity to hear from a distinguished line-up of experts in welding and allied processes. We will engage in meaningful discussions, exchange ideas, and learn from one another. I have no doubt that this conference will be a catalyst for innovative solutions and ideas that will positively impact the welding industry and beyond,” John Tarboton concluded.