From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
Two giants in the textile industry, Alhaji Said Dattijo Adhama and Comrade Issa Aremu have identified revival of the moribund textile industry as the fastest way of President Muhannadu Buhari’s mission of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
While Aremu called for creation of a Ministry for the Textile Industry, Adhama said, even if the textile industry is revived to produce only pants, the industry with its long value chain will employ millions of Nigerians.
The two textile experts spoke at a public lecture organised by the Kaduna State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), on ‘Revival of Industry in The North, The Textile Example’.
Dattijo Adhama who is the Executive Chairman, Adhama Textiles and Garments Industry Ltd said, even with production of pants alone, the textile industry can turn around the economy of Nigeria.
Adhama who was the Guest Speaker at the occasion said, with population size of 200 million, if three pairs of pants are produced for every Nigerian annually, it means, the textile will be producing 600 million pants annually.
While commending President Muhannadu Buhari and Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele for the policy to compel the military and paramilitary agencies to patronise made in Nigeria textile, Adhama said, the policy must be implemented to the latter.
In his remarks, Comrade Aremu who is the General-Secretary of National Union of Textile Garments and Tailoring Workers Union said establishing a Ministry for Textile Industry will fast track its full revival to generate the desired job.
According to Aremu, “the new textile and garment policy is aimed at reviving the entire value chain of textile and cotton sector, and that is very huge, from cotton growing to spinning, weaving, finishing and garmenting. If this is well implemented, we will create close to 4 million direct job in the next five years.”
“If the vision of President Muhannadu Buhari to create 100 million job in Nigeria in the next 10 years is to be achieved, textile industry is the key,” He said
Earlier, Chairman of NIPR, Bashir Adamu Chedi said, the theme of the lecture, ‘Revival of Industry in The North, The Textile Example’, was carefully chosen to provoke thoughts towards the revival of the the comatosed industry.
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