The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzika-Anite, has disclosed that the Federal Government in the past year attracted about $3.5 billion into the nation’s textile, cotton and apparel sector as part of its efforts to revitalize the under-performing industry.
The minister, who gave these figures during the ministerial press briefing on Tuesday in Abuja, expressed optimism that the government’s efforts would among other benefits, create thousands of employment opportunities for Nigerians.
She said: “The ministry is developing a resurgence plan for the Nigerian cotton, textile and apparel industry in partnership with development partners and private sector players. We have attracted $3.5 billion to unlock the textile, cotton and apparel industry.
“As you all know, Nigeria’s textile, and apparel industry covers the entire clothing value chain and has a strong potential for growth due to the availability of cotton and the country’s market size.
“This industry is one of the top contributors to the manufacturing sector of the economy with huge potential for employment for both skilled and unskilled labour with extensive capacity for generating export earnings and attract foreign direct investment and therefore reduce poverty”, Uzoka-Anite added.
It would be recalled that the textile industry was among the most flourishing sector in Nigeria in the 1970s and early 1980s with strong contributions to the nation’s GDP.
However, in the past three decades the industry had faced sundry challenges with the attendant implications for job losses, closure of over 120 textile mills, including the United Nigeria Textile Limited, Aswani Textile Limited, Asaba Textile Mill and others in Lagos, Kaduna and other cities in the country.
