The Nation Newspaper

Tag: textile

  • Textile, garment entrepreneurs seek policy review to revive struggling industry

    Textile, garment entrepreneurs seek policy review to revive struggling industry

    Textile and garment business owners have called on the Federal Government to review policies guiding the sector, citing persistent challenges such as rampant smuggling, poor power infrastructure, high production costs and inadequate investment despite the industry’s strong job-creation potential.

    The call was made by the Chief Executive Officer of CNDaniels Couture, Nnamdi Daniel, at the company’s end-of-year party in Abuja, themed “Canvas of Culture: Ancestors Are Watching, GLAM Trad.”

    Daniel said urgent policy intervention was needed to revive the textile and garment sector, noting that local production is currently insufficient to meet the needs of industry players.

    According to him, foreign smugglers, particularly from countries like China, are making more profits than Nigerian garment producers by copying local designs, reproducing them abroad and reintroducing them into the Nigerian market at cheaper prices, despite their inferior quality.

    “What Nigeria produces in textiles is not enough for the industry. We need a policy review because criminals from other countries steal our products, reprint them abroad and bring them back to sell cheaply. Even though the quality is far below what we produce locally, they still dominate the market,” he said.

    Speaking on efforts to promote made-in-Nigeria products, Daniel announced an upcoming partnership between CNDaniels Couture and the British Council, scheduled for the early part of 2026. He said the initiative would kick off in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt before expanding to other parts of the country, with the aim of promoting African culture and encouraging the consistent use of Nigerian fabrics.

    “The show happening today is a mock presentation of what we intend to do during our partnership with the British Council in early 2026,” he explained.

    Daniel stressed the need to promote Nigerian culture through fashion, warning that many people are gradually forgetting indigenous fabrics and cultural heritage due to the increasing westernisation of fashion.

    “Our culture needs to be promoted through clothing. People are forgetting what our fabrics look like and what our heritage represents. Our fashion has been westernised, and this is not good for us as Africans. The Glam Trad concept is designed to showcase fashion that can be explained in an African way,” he said.

    He added that while many textile factories remain dormant, some indigenous fabrics such as Adire, Akwete and other locally produced textiles are still thriving and in high demand, describing them as rich Nigerian fabrics that deserve greater support and investment.

  • Fed Govt eyes $4b yearly from cotton textile garment

    Fed Govt eyes $4b yearly from cotton textile garment

    The Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh has said the government is committed to building a robust and responsive policy framework to support the growth of Nigeria’s Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) sector, as this will generate $4billion annually instead of relying on imported clothing.

    The minister disclosed this during the CTG stakeholders’ engagement with the theme, ‘Co-creating solutions to grow Nigeria’s CTG industry, in Abuja, stating that the framework and support for the CTG will reduce Nigerian’s reliance on imported clothing.  This will also create jobs and also boost local manufacturing.

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    The minister assured that government is committed to promoting Made-in-Nigeria goods and reviving the textile sector, as he hinted on plans for a national campaign to promote local garments and goods across all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), citing the example of Ogun State, where over 70,000 public workers are mandated to wear Nigerian-made clothes weekly.

    He also assured stakeholders that the government would work closely with institutions like the Bank of Industry to facilitate access to finance and machinery for garment and textile businesses”.

  • Reviving Kano’s textile industry

    Reviving Kano’s textile industry

    • By Abdulrahman Liman Muhammad

    Sir: The once-vibrant textile industry of Kano, a cornerstone of Nigeria’s economic history, now sits in near ruins, a shadow of its former self. Once employing hundreds of thousands of people and contributing significantly to the national economy, the sector now struggles for survival. For many in Kano, the textile industry was not just a source of livelihood but a symbol of the city’s prominence in Africa’s industrial landscape. The decline of this vital industry has left many jobless and the economy of Kano, and by extension Nigeria, weakened. It’s time for the federal and Kano state governments to take decisive action.

    Kano’s textile industry has roots dating back to the pre-colonial era when it was a hub of trans-Saharan trade. As the centre of commerce for the northern region, its textiles were highly sought after across Africa and beyond. The introduction of modern textile mills in the 1950s and 60s only bolstered Kano’s standing, making it a key player in the Nigerian economy.

    By the 1980s, Kano’s textile mills were thriving, employing over 300,000 workers and contributing massively to Nigeria’s GDP. Today, however, only a handful of these mills remain operational, and the number of employees has dwindled to less than 30,000. The collapse of the industry has resulted in an economic downturn for Kano, increased poverty levels, and a growing number of unemployed youths.

    The decline can be attributed to several factors, including a lack of investment in infrastructure, outdated equipment, and inconsistent government policies. Power supply remains a significant challenge, with factories having to rely heavily on costly diesel generators due to the unreliable national grid. This has made production expensive, diminishing the competitiveness of locally produced textiles against cheaper imports from China and other Asian countries.

    Another major issue is the influx of smuggled and counterfeit textiles into the Nigerian market. Despite bans and restrictions, smugglers have found ways to flood the market with substandard products, undercutting local manufacturers and forcing many to close their doors. Additionally, high import duties on raw materials have crippled the sector’s ability to source essential inputs, further driving up the cost of production.

    While the federal government has made some attempts to revive the textile sector—such as introducing policies to encourage local production and banning textile imports—these efforts have largely fallen short due to poor implementation and corruption. The Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Cotton, Textile, and Garment (CTG) intervention fund, designed to boost the industry, has had limited impact due to mismanagement and the failure of many textile mills to access these funds.

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    Reviving the textile industry in Kano will require a multi-faceted approach. First, both federal and state governments must prioritize investment in infrastructure, particularly in power supply. The introduction of dedicated industrial power plants or special economic zones with reliable electricity would significantly reduce the cost of production for textile companies.

    Second, the government must enforce stricter measures to curb smuggling and protect local manufacturers. Strengthening border security and imposing higher penalties for smuggling would help level the playing field for local industries. Additionally, reducing import duties on essential raw materials would lower production costs and increase the competitiveness of local textiles.

    Furthermore, the government should consider providing tax incentives and subsidies to encourage investment in modern textile machinery. This would help mills upgrade their equipment and become more efficient, making them better able to compete in the global market.

    The textile industry’s revival is not only an economic imperative but also a social one. For the people of Kano, the industry represents hope for a better future, one where jobs are plentiful, poverty is reduced, and the city regains its former glory. However, this vision can only be realized if both the federal and Kano state governments take swift and decisive action.

    The path to recovery may be long and challenging, but with the right policies, investments, and commitment, Kano’s textile industry can rise again. It is time for the government to listen to the cries of its people and make the necessary interventions to breathe new life into one of Nigeria’s most important industries. The future of Kano, and indeed Nigeria’s industrial sector, depends on it.

    •Abdulrahman Liman Muhammad,

     Borno State University, Maiduguri.

  • Textile workers lament lack of patronage, inconsistent policies

    Textile workers lament lack of patronage, inconsistent policies

    The National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) has decried the deplorable state of the nation’s textile sector which they attribute to rising cases of smuggling, lack of patronage, and inconsistent policies.

    The union said without effective policies to support economic interventions, the revival of Nigeria’s economy would remain elusive.

    Speaking at the Union’s 91st Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Lagos, the Union’s National President, Comrade Peters Godonu, emphasised the importance of encouraging Nigerians to buy locally-made goods as a key factor in economic recovery.

    He said the lack of patronage for locally-produced goods is exacerbating economic challenges and fuelling smuggling. He criticised inconsistent government policies, particularly in the electricity sector, as contributing to the industry’s struggles.

    On the state of the nation, the CWC noted that despite efforts to revitalise the industry, it continues to face significant challenges. These include rampant smuggling and counterfeiting of Made-in-Nigeria textiles, poor patronage, despite the Federal Government’s Executive Order 003, inadequate and expensive electricity supply, poor infrastructure, high taxes and interest rates, soaring diesel costs, and the depreciating value of the Naira.

    Read Also: Govt targets 1.4m jobs from cotton/textile industry

    The CWC acknowledged the administration’s commitment to reviving the labor-intensive textile and garment industry as part of President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” aimed at diversifying the economy, revitalising key local industries, and creating substantial employment opportunities.

    However, the Union stressed that more needs to be done to create an enabling environment for the revival of the textile industry and broader manufacturing activities in Nigeria.

    The CWC also recognised new measures introduced by the government through the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment aimed at revitalizing the textile industry. It called for an urgent stakeholders’ meeting, which must include the Union, to objectively review these initiatives and develop a workable implementation framework.

    The CWC expressed concern over the worsening economic conditions, attributing it to recent government policies such as the removal of fuel subsidies, Naira devaluation, tax reforms, and increased electricity tariffs. The Union reiterated the need for immediate and effective measures by the Tinubu administration to stabilize the economy, reduce the cost of living, and create decent jobs.

    In solidarity with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the union announced that it has placed its members on alert in case of any action directed by the apex labour body.

  • Furore over forex ban on textile

    The federal government’s decision to restrict foreign exchange access for textile materials importation is causing division in the industry. While some operators argue that the move is healthy for the local industry, others posit this is capable of stifling their businesses particularly, the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Charles Okonji reports.

    If the feeler from the federal government is anything to go by, it means the business of textile import will soon die a natural death. At issue is that recently, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, announced the discontinuation of forex provision for importers of textile materials in the country. The implication is that henceforth such importers would have to source foreign exchange for their businesses.

    The death knell

    In his response, the CBN governor said the policy will revive the cotton, garment and textile sector, as the old way of providing forex for importers by government is not improving the standard of the textile sector, neither is the duty on textile effective to stop the increase in importation.

    CBN boss further disclosed that the new policy was well thought out one aimed at repositioning the sector for job creation and economic growth, adding that the old approach contributed to the closure of about 180 textile mills in the country.

    “Nigeria’s dependence on textile importation led to the shut-down of many textile companies which, in turn, caused retrenchment in the textile industry,” Emefiele said emphatically.

    He stressed that government has added all forms of textile materials to the new forex restriction list to rejuvenate the industry and ensure that the needed growth was actualised, while several other strategies that would make it difficult for recalcitrant smugglers to operate banking business in Nigeria would be adopted.

    According to him, the apex bank would continue to support local cotton farmers through its Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) to enable them meet the needs of the local textile industry.

    Mixed reactions from stakeholders

    But industry operators and other stakeholders seem divided over the new Forex policy for the industry. For members of the Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association (NTMA), the restriction of Forex to the textile importers is a laudable effort by government that is commendable.

    To the NTMA Chairman, Mrs. Grace Aderoti, this new step by the federal government will help move the nation’s economy forward, and also impact positively on the manufacturing industry as a whole.

    “This step will help move our economy forward, and would also impact manufacturing as a whole. Also, smuggling is a very big threat to textile and the entire economy that the government must also look into, especially, the porous borders,” Aderoti contended.

    She appealed to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to monitor more effectively what is coming into the country, while government should muster the political will to encourage the patronage of made in Nigeria fabrics, as well as ensuring that the fabrics were actually made in the country.

    NTMA through their chairman are hopeful that the inclusion of textile and garments in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s foreign exchange restriction list will be a catalyst for rapid growth and development in the local textile sector and the nation’s economy in general.

    “The restriction would reinforce the various interventions of the Federal Government that had erstwhile been futile in the sector.  It is an excellent move that will ensure the survival of the remaining textile companies, and it will even encourage more investments in the sector,” she said.

    Aderoti stated that reviving the textile sector to its past glory was vital to the nation’s economic growth and to the government’s job creation objectives, disclosing that CBN would soon meet with stakeholders in the textile industry and the management of Bank of Industry (BoI) over issues relating to textile industry intervention funds.

    The meeting will resolve the challenges in accessing the funds and to what extend the tenure for the N100 billion federal government intervention fund and CBN’s N50 billion intervention fund to textile industry, noting that continued intervention would boost the sector’s capacity utilisation, global competitiveness, create employment and improve its contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.

    Recall that in 2010, the federal government introduced N100 billion Cotton, Textile and Garment Revival Scheme to stabilise and resuscitate some closed factories. The CBN later in 2016 floated a N50 billion intervention fund as working capital, debt takeover and long-term loan to the Cotton, Textile and Garment value chain.

    A divergent view

    But a former Director General of NACCIMA, who also was a consultant to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Dr. John Isemede, took a holistic view on the new policy decision of the federal government on textile import.

    According to Isemede, there is still unnecessary confusion in the air, because people have not seen what the CBN governor is looking at.

    “The CBN governor is not an enemy of this country; he is the head when it comes to business in the country. People are looking at only one side of the coin, but when it comes to real business, we look at three sides of the coin.

    “When it comes to the international trade, there are three sides of the coin. On the other hand, it may be hanging to the left, and it may not be hanging completely to the right. The fifth is that it may be completely hanging to the left. This is when you look at the currency and import, because the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been on the area of import as import has been on the increase,” he reasoned.

    He continued; “When you talk of balance of trade and balance of payment, there are issues. The CBN governor did not ban import of textile completely, and he did not ask importers of textile products not to import at all, but he came up with the word that there would be no more availability of forex to the importers at government rate.

    “Instead of condemning the CBN Governor, we should look inwards to study over 600 trade agreements signed by the country over the years. Before the Uruguay conference in the 90’s, there was the Tokyo agreement in the 80’s for the textile industry, how did we fair? That was how our textile industry collapsed.

    “The second is that under the Uruguay agreement of the 1995, when the general agreement for trade was signed with World Trade Organisation (WTO), Nigerian representatives were there, they signed the agreements without knowing that they were signing the country’s future away.”

    He further disclosed that what was agreed, was market access and negotiation in industrial and agricultural sectors, explaining that the agreement was solely for the textile industry, as it was agreed for a 10 year window; which is between 1995 and 2005, that the developed countries would be surrendering 40 percent of what was agreed on at 30 percent, which was service point between 1995 and 2005.

    According to the former UNIDO Consultant, ministry officials go about signing trade agreements and after the opening ceremony; they collect estacode, and disappear, leaving the future of the country in jeopardy.

    “The CBN Governor is looking at the five sides of the coin; people say that his action will lead to massive unemployment, which is not true. In actual fact, the new policy will accelerate industrial development, and also induce employment in the country. But if this measure is not taken, indiscriminate import of textile would keep creating employment in the countries where they are produced,” Isemede stressed.

    But the Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr Muda Yusuf disagrees. He criticised the CBN for placing Forex ban on textile importation, insisting that the apex bank ought to have come up with a strategic approach to the measure before the ban.

    He advised the Government to revisit the CBN’s ban, explaining the position of Nigeria in Africa as a leader in fashion, the range of fabrics produced by the local textile industry could not support the industry in terms of quantity and quality.

    The LCCI boss pointed out that his stand is not aimed at demeaning the importance of the local textile industry in any way or the significance of the nation’s industrialisation, however, added that this was to underscore the importance of a strategic approach to industrialisation.

    “Before such policy statement, the government ought to have enhanced the capacity of the local industries, improved their effectiveness and reduced their import reliance as adopted in the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan,” Yusuf posited.

    But in swift reaction to LCCI DG, the apex bank in a statement signed by Emefiele argued that the strategic approach being referred to by Yusuf had never worked.

    “The issue he raised here is that we need to have a strategic approach to the measures. Whereas one will agree with his view on strategic approach, but I begin to wonder what Muda means when he talked about strategic approaches.

    “In the past, the country has adopted what he calls a strategic approach and that strategic approach to my understanding is that he seems to say, allow them to continue to import, let them continue to dump, let them continue to smuggle into the country, they will build these factories and industries.

    “When we addressed these issues recently, I had said that at a time in this country, Nigeria had 180 textile mills, today they are dead. Recently, when we held a meeting, there were only 15 textiles companies out of the 180 in the 50s and 60s in the country.

    “Jobs have been lost, and that is why we know that while there is unemployment in our country, we ignore an industry that is the largest employer of labour after the public sector.

    “The strategic approach had never worked. I want anybody to quote me; it has never worked. What is the policy we are talking about? Increase in duty. Today, duty on textile is 45 percent.

    “I have data here that tells me that textile officially imported into Nigeria in 2015 was $9m. In 2016 $6.9m; in 2017, $7m; and in 2018, $9.7m. Is that the quantity of textile that came into Nigeria? My answer is no. And yet people say they pay duty, my answer is no. Because if you paid duty, then we will not have a record that places import of textile into the country at $9m.Both funds are domiciled and managed by the Bank of Industry (BOI),” Emefiele disclosed.

    CBN boss sounded it clear that the nation’s dependence on textile importation led to the shutdown of many textile companies which, in turn, caused retrenchment in the textile industry, a road current government is not ready to travel again.

    Emefiele insisted that the so called strategic approach, to him, means allowing them to continue to import, let them continue to dump, let them continue to smuggle into the country.

  • Stakeholders demand social infrastructure for textile sector

    Stakeholders in the industrial subsector have impressed on the federal government the need to provide infrastructure development in the textile industry as it is the only way to revitalise the ailing sector.

    They noted that for the government to ban issuance of foreign exchange to textile companies is certainly not the right approach, arguing that enough windows ought to have been given.

    “It is only the masses that will suffer the hike in price, because leaders in power will go ahead and import textile materials in large quantities,” they stated.

    The President, Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe said that it is only when the sector is provided with the right infrastructure that the sector would bounce back again.

    Gwadabe, who was represented by the Financial Secretary of the Association, Mr. Adewumi Adewale at the inauguration of new Exco of Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN), recently in Lagos, noted that government has not put anything in place that will encourage the textile industries that are moribund to take off, saying that this cannot be a sudden affair, as it has to be a gradual issue.

    In his speech, the Managing Director of NISPO Porcelain Company Limited, Mr. Afam Mallinson Ukatu said VAT increase from 5 percent to 10 percent would affect manufacturing sector and other businesses in the country negatively.

    Ukatu noted that if government does not refrain from the proposed, most manufacturers would be forced to shut down their factories here in Nigeria and relocate to others countries where taxes are more-friendly.

    He recounted that another area the government needed to look into was the issue of multiple taxation, stressing that it is of paramount importance to harmonise taxes.

    “The situation has deteriorated to the extent that tax authorities shut down factories, for the inability of tax defaulters to pay. What we do ask them is that if you shut a factory because they have not paid tax, and all their workers are on the street, where are they going to get the money to pay the tax? Again, I will advise that government desist from the proposed increase of VAT,” he stressed.

  • Don re-enacts Uli art in textile

    The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Art School is famous for the use of Uli idiom to provide a counter-narrative to western cultural imperialism.

    Uli, a traditional painting of Igbo women, has been transformed by the school into a modern tool of creative engagement.  In the place of colonial art education, which reflected western art academy, artists in the school have evolved new ways of reasserting their creative identity through the exploration of their traditional art, culture and history.

    Until recently, the creative success of the NsukkaArt School was associated with male artists who are mainly painters and sculptors.

    Dr Ritadoris Ubah, an artist from the school, has carved a niche  for herself by engaging Uli motifs in full textile fabric composition that reflects the dynamics of design.  In her art, Ubah set forth to tap into artistic resources and innovation in painting, sculpture and textile in the Nsukka School by using them as the basis for her art experimentation and creation.

    In her latest exhibition, Ubah draped a car with fabric designed with uli motifs, in full complement of ladies and students adorned in her creative textile design.  The display portrayed an interface of tradition and modernity. The artist creatively transformed what used to be a painting on the bare skin of Igbo women to modern clothing that served the same purpose of beauty enhancement.

    Ubah’sgoal is to develop a creative female voice that would complement the achievements of painters and sculptures from the Nsukka School.

    Her fascination is local traditions of arts and craft, Ubahgets her inspiration not only from Igbo body painting, now reinvented as Uli,  but also from the aesthetic richness of the Yoruba Adire and tie and dye traditions and technique.

    “Although I borrow from tradition, my production is an art of modernity”, Ubah, a lecturer in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts of the university, told the crowd that gathered at her exhibition.

    An observation of Ubah’s creative display reveals a promotion of art with hybrid content. She borrows ideas from creative works from other related creative discipline other than her area of specialisation. Her work is an exploitation of the potential of the quilted, printed, painted, and embroidered and installation techniques in textile art production.

    Ubah’screativity provides a visual testimony of how a textile artiste can reinvent her traditions of arts and crafts, appropriate them and exploit their creative potential in making important artistic statements.

    “I try to demonstrate that artistes must return to history from which to renew their creativity”, the artiste said.

    Among the repertoire of her work on display was a vertical pictorial composition executed with quilting technique. The composition was arranged with cluster ofuli motifs. Each colour of the motif complements each other in their visual tension.  The use of an intense colour palette in the composition is similar to what one could find in Igbo wall painting, which endows the work with affecting presence of tradition.

    Also on display wereuli symbols batiked on a two colour fabric. The work demonstrates the artist’s affinity with tradition. She carefully appropriated the artistic resources of the Yoruba adire tradition which has been made popular by Nike Monica Okundaye, a painter, textile designer and multimedia artiste. “This production is my way of looking back to the aesthetic power of the Yoruba culture and tradition, Ubah said in her explanations.

    There was also terracotta and fabric glass pots designed with Uli motifs. The artiste, worked like a painter, engaging the potter’s ceramic wares as a base for her creative enterprise. The artiste drives pottery and allied media into the ways of ceramic production by transforming themutable into textile works. Ubahused thework to create proximity between a textile artist, a painter and a ceramic artiste.

    In what is fast becoming her trademark, Ubah’s latest solo exhibition portrays her determination to enter the hall of fame of renowned artiste from the Nsukka School.

  • Don re-enacts Uli art in textile

    The University of Nigeria, Nsukka Art School is famous for the use of Uli idiom to provide a counter-narrative to western cultural imperialism.

    Uli, a traditional painting of Igbo women, has been transformed by the school into a modern tool of creative engagement.  In the place of colonial art education, which reflected western art academy, artists in the school have evolved new ways of reasserting their creative identity through the exploration of their traditional art, culture and history.

    Until recently, the creative success of the NsukkaArt School was associated with male artists who are mainly painters and sculptors.

    Dr Ritadoris Ubah, an artist from the school, has carved a niche  for herself by engaging Uli motifs in full textile fabric composition that reflects the dynamics of design.  In her art, Ubah set forth to tap into artistic resources and innovation in painting, sculpture and textile in the Nsukka School by using them as the basis for her art experimentation and creation.

    In her latest exhibition, Ubah draped a car with fabric designed with uli motifs, in full complement of ladies and students adorned in her creative textile design.  The display portrayed an interface of tradition and modernity. The artist creatively transformed what used to be a painting on the bare skin of Igbo women to modern clothing that served the same purpose of beauty enhancement.

    Ubah’sgoal is to develop a creative female voice that would complement the achievements of painters and sculptures from the Nsukka School.

    Her fascination is local traditions of arts and craft, Ubahgets her inspiration not only from Igbo body painting, now reinvented as Uli,  but also from the aesthetic richness of the Yoruba Adire and tie and dye traditions and technique.

    “Although I borrow from tradition, my production is an art of modernity”, Ubah, a lecturer in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts of the university, told the crowd that gathered at her exhibition.

    An observation of Ubah’s creative display reveals a promotion of art with hybrid content. She borrows ideas from creative works from other related creative discipline other than her area of specialisation. Her work is an exploitation of the potential of the quilted, printed, painted, and embroidered and installation techniques in textile art production.

    Ubah’screativity provides a visual testimony of how a textile artiste can reinvent her traditions of arts and crafts, appropriate them and exploit their creative potential in making important artistic statements.

    “I try to demonstrate that artistes must return to history from which to renew their creativity”, the artiste said.

    Among the repertoire of her work on display was a vertical pictorial composition executed with quilting technique. The composition was arranged with cluster ofuli motifs. Each colour of the motif complements each other in their visual tension.  The use of an intense colour palette in the composition is similar to what one could find in Igbo wall painting, which endows the work with affecting presence of tradition.

    Also on display wereuli symbols batiked on a two colour fabric. The work demonstrates the artist’s affinity with tradition. She carefully appropriated the artistic resources of the Yoruba adire tradition which has been made popular by Nike Monica Okundaye, a painter, textile designer and multimedia artiste. “This production is my way of looking back to the aesthetic power of the Yoruba culture and tradition, Ubah said in her explanations.

    There was also terracotta and fabric glass pots designed with Uli motifs. The artiste, worked like a painter, engaging the potter’s ceramic wares as a base for her creative enterprise. The artiste drives pottery and allied media into the ways of ceramic production by transforming themutable into textile works. Ubahused thework to create proximity between a textile artist, a painter and a ceramic artiste.

    In what is fast becoming her trademark, Ubah’s latest solo exhibition portrays her determination to enter the hall of fame of renowned artiste from the Nsukka School.

     

  • Once upon a textile sector

    •What to do to revive the industry

    Things must be extremely bad for some people to say they “feel dead and buried” even while they are still alive. But that is the situation with the sacked textile workers in the country. A detailed report on the once prosperous textile sector by this paper titled: “We feel dead and buried – sad tales from sacked textile workers” published on March 18 vividly tells the story of the textile worker, from the inception of the first modern textile firm, Kaduna Textile Ltd (KTL), founded and financed by the 19 Northern states in 1957, to about year 2002 when it was shut down, as well as stories of other textile workers in the country.

    Sudden loss of job is always a harrowing experience. But it is especially so when those sacked used to enjoy some of the best of whatever made life tick, only to fall to ground zero. The matter becomes sadder when the workers left unceremoniously without being paid any entitlements. This is the fate of many of the sacked workers.

    Nigeria had about 200 textile firms in the 1980s but only 128 of them survived until the 1990s. However, by 2008, more than half of them had closed shop. Seven years later, only about 33 were functional; today, there are less than 25 of them in operation. The textile sector was the biggest manufacturing industry in the country in the 1980s, and the third largest in Africa, after Egypt and South Africa.

    Prof Adesoji Adesanya of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) put the conservative estimates of indirect and direct job losses at about three million, that is “if you put together the expanded opportunities for cotton growers, ginneries, spinning, weavers, colouring and patterning of clothing. When the going was good, many textile workers had no problem catering to the needs of their families.

    The job losses expectedly came with many social dislocations. We had breadwinners who could no longer provide for their families. They could no longer afford to pay their children’s school fees; they could no longer pick their medical bills; many were ejected from their rented apartments over unpaid rents; in short, many lost their dignity. For instance, Wordam Simdik lost his 19-year-old son over his inability to pay his medical bill following his admission after he was stabbed by some of his friends. He joined the friends because his father could not afford to send him to school. Mama Asabe Audu Jaba whose husband was one of the first set of workers at KTL where he had worked for 44 years until the firm closed in 2002 died in 2009 without any entitlements.  That is not all; she also watched two of her 11 children die slowly at home because she could not afford to take them to hospital when they fell ill.

    There are countless other heartrending stories. Suffice it to say that the story of the textile sector is a tragic story of a once flourishing industry that has now gone comatose. Successive governments seemed to have realised the potential of the sector to lift many Nigerians out of the unemployment market and have therefore pumped so much money to revive it. Unfortunately, this has not made a dent on the sector.

    Could it be the money was not properly applied? Maybe; maybe not. But there are other issues to address. The textile sector, like other sectors, cannot grow in a situation where power supply is epileptic. Then, smuggling is not helping matters. But smuggling will always thrive since goods produced locally are more expensive than imported ones.

    Therefore, the government has to address these issues holistically. The tragic fortune is that labour is still affordable in the country. Perhaps to encourage the sector, the government can compel its ministries, agencies and departments to start patronising the textile industries so they can have something to do on a sustainable basis. Military, police National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) uniforms can be contracted out to the local textile mills. On their part, the textile firms too have to upgrade their equipment such that they can improve on their design and make their products attractive and truly competitive.

  • Nigerian businessmen intrested in Pakistan surgical equipment industry

    Nigerian businessmen intrested in Pakistan surgical equipment industry

    Nigerian businessmen have indicated interest in collaborating with Pakistani industrialists in surgical equipment manufacturing, according to Pakistan Head of Chancery, Asim Khan.

    Khan told the newsmen in a meeting held on Friday in Abuja that other areas of partnership being explored by the businessmen included textile, shoe making and agricultural equipment and facilities.

    “The increasing interaction between Nigerian and Pakistani businessmen will open more areas of investment, create opportunities for joint ventures and further promote cordial relationship,” he said.

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    He disclosed that application for business visa from Nigerians visiting Pakistan had increased, assuring that the relationship between the two countries would further improve with the cooperation in the area of military material and training support.

    Pakistan has also in recent past provided logistic assistance to Nigeria in the fight against terrorism with donations of military aircraft to the West African nation’s military.

    NAN