Nigerian governors, particularly those in cotton-producing states, have been urged to establish garment industries to drive job creation and economic growth.
This call was made by Comrade Peters Godonu, President of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), during the union’s 36th annual national education conference. The event, organised in collaboration with the Nigerian Textile Garment and Tailoring Employers’ Association (NTGTEA), was held at the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Godonu reaffirmed the union’s commitment to industrial development and praised Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for establishing the multi-million naira Kwara Garment Factory in Ilorin. He urged other governors to emulate this initiative, particularly through public-private partnerships, as a strategy for wealth generation and sustainable development. Participants at the conference are scheduled to tour the Kwara Garment Factory to gain insights into its operations.
Comrade Issa Aremu, Director-General of MINILS, described the conference theme as timely and emphasised the need for collaborative efforts in industrial revival. Representing the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Aremu highlighted the challenges facing the textile industry, including the importation of second-hand clothing, insecurity, and inadequate electricity supply.
He called on the government to protect existing textile factories and restore defunct ones to enhance job creation and reduce poverty. “The conference should aim to develop strategies for fostering effective partnerships amongst government, industry, and labour and identify the various roles of each stakeholder in sustainable industrial development.
“It complements President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda concerning poverty eradication, economic growth, sustainable industrialisation, job creation, access to capital, and improvement of living standards,” he said.
