The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajia Aisha Abubakar, said yesterday that the ministry had received a presidential directive to revive the cotton, textile and garment (CTG) sector.
Mrs. Abubakar spoke at a meeting with members of the National Committee for the Implementation of the Cotton, Textile and Garment Policy in her office in Abuja.
She said President Muhammadu Buhari was passionate about the revival of the cotton, textile and garment sector following its huge potential for job creation across its value chain.
“Our President is passionate about this particular sector and we have been mandated to identify challenges that keep on occurring in this particular sector and chart the way forward.
“The CTG sector, which used to be highest employer of labour next to government, with over 175 mills at its peak in the 1980s, is now a shadow with barely 30 companies operating presently.
“This meeting is called to review the activities thus far and chart the way forward. In this regard, we should identify the short, medium and long term programmes.
“As we deliberate, I urge you to put the interest of Nigeria in our discussion, and the government is determined to do everything to revive this important sector.
“The country is looking forward to the revival of this sector and I believe we are going to be on the right path at the end of this meeting,” a report by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the minister as saying.
The committee was inaugurated on last January 20, following the launch of the policy, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council in December 2014.
Its committee, Mrs. Omotanwa Awobokun, said the meeting was convened to brief the minister on the work plan and strategy for implementation of the policy.
Mrs. Awobokun said the policy was a component of the National Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) designed to address challenges in the value chain from cotton production to fashion designing.
The Federal ministries of Finance and Agriculture and Rural Development; Bank of Industry, Raw Materials Research and Development Council, National Cotton Association of Nigeria and other members attended the meeting.