NAN-ELS-1
Textiles
By Vezi Isike
Lagos, March 9, 2017 (NAN) A textile dealer at Oshodi, Lagos, Mrs Abisoye Eniola, on Thursday appealed to the Federal Government to invest in the textile industry to reduce importation and smuggling of foreign textiles.
Eniola made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
“Nigerians have high taste but the quality of what we produce as clothes is low.
“So, it indirectly encourages smuggling of quality clothes; thereby financing the countries that produce them,’’ she said.
Eniola told NAN that the Nigerian market was flooded with foreign goods because the economy was not production-friendly.
According to her, the supply of electricity being a major determinant of production, is abysmally low and no production company can survive in such an environment.
“I have sold textiles in Nigeria for over 30 years and can categorically tell the history and the present state of the textile industry.
“If we have to revive the textile business in Nigeria like it was some years ago, the first thing we should focus on is power supply.
“No industry can be successful where there is no power and worse off, the cost of diesel is now times three what it used to be then when the industry was flourishing.
“If we cannot find a way to deal with the epileptic power supply in Nigeria, we will not have a head way in not just textile production but any business that produces goods, ‘’ she said.
Eniola said that the ban on textile had not refrain people from smuggling such goods, which indirectly crippled indigenous production and sales.
“Importation of materials was banned sometimes ago but go to Balogun market or even Oshodi market, you will be amazed to see new stocks of banned goods.
“I am not sure how these goods come into the country but I would say we have not done well enough as a people; especially from government’s end where policies are made.
“Little is done to ensure that those policies are adhered to,’’ she said.
She said that prompt government intervention was needed to abate the continuous involvement of Nigerians in smuggling.
“We have to act now or else we will remain in the shadow of being the most populous nation in Africa with little or no growth to show for what we claim,’’ she said. (NAN)
VOI/ENN/AJA
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(Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Adeleye Ajayi)