NAN-H-98
Cities
By Olayinka Olawale
Lagos, Nov. 22, 2016 (NAN) Ejiro Amos-Tafiri, a renowned Nigerian fashion designer, on Tuesday, urged the Federal Government to create fashion hub and special cities to boost the development of garment industry.
She made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
She said that the industry possessed potential to grow the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
if adequately harnessed.
She added that “if government can create fashion hubs and special cities like it is done in China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and India, it will help to grow the industry.
“Aba in Imo can become like the garment hub of Nigeria, if government invests in it.
“Regular power supply, technical improvement, training and encouragement of engineers to manufacture sewing machines and creative ideas will enhance productivity in the garment
industry,’’ she suggested.
She, however, commended government for doing so much to diversify the economy and bring it out of recession, noting that “but we will need a lot more to get the fashion industry to where it needs to be.
“Nigeria is a country with over 170 million people; imagine if people dress in Nigeria’s local attire,
it will create jobs and save us money and we can export to boost our GDP and earn foreign exchange.
“The fashion industry is a huge deal for Nigeria if only we can look inward and get the most out
of it.”
Amos-Tafiri said that the attitude of craving for foreign goods was impacting negatively on the country’s local content.
She, therefore, urged government to encourage Nigerians to patronise made in Nigeria products.
The fashion designer listed some of the challenges confronting the industry to include poor technical skill and the lack of direction.
She said there was need for stakeholders in the fashion industry to improve on their end-products to meet international standard.
“Nigerians love buying quality things from foreign countries and that kills local industries.
“That is why the garment industry is not growing, and textile factories are folding up.
It would be recalled that Kuddus Kolawole, the Lagos State Coordinator of the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN) recently said that the nation’s fashion industry was worth about N1.55 trillion and should attract investors “because it is juicy”. (NAN)
OOG/AIB/HA
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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu