Lagos – The Nigerian Hand made Local Fabrics Makers Association has advised the Lagos State Government to make handcraft a compulsory subject in schools.
Mrs Yetunde Aiyela, the Coordinator of the association, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
Aiyela told NAN that the subject would expose the students to a very vital vocation in future.
According to her, making bags, shoes and other fashion items from local fabrics like ‘adire’ is becoming lucrative as over one million Nigerians are now engaged in it.
“You will be surprised how Nigerians have accepted fashion items like shoes, slippers, bags, wrist bangles, and even pillows made from local fabrics like ‘ankara’ and ‘adire’.
“In most homes, you will find an item made from a local fabric.
“The only challenge we are having is that we need a platform like forming small cooperative for the purpose of accessing loans to improve the business,” Aiyela said.
She also appealed to the Federal Government to revive the textile sector to enable her members to get various types of fabrics.
“If the textile sector is revived, it will be another opportunity for value chain to our business and it can create not less than two million jobs for youths in the country,” Aiyela said. (NAN)
