ABUJA – An official of National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGWN) has said that targets of the new policy on National Cotton, Textile and Garment Policy are achievable.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
The NUTGWN President, Mr Oladele Hunsu, expressed the view in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday, saying the success of the policy depended on its implementation.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga, on Jan. 21, inaugurated the National Cotton, Textile and Garment Policy with a target to achieve N504 billion annually from textile exports.
Aganga explained that the Federal Government decided to formulate the policy in order to boost the contribution of the sector to the county’s Gross Domestic Product.
He said that the policy would increase the current employment level in the sector from 24,000 to 100,000 by 2017.
“As you and I know in Nigeria, we do not have problem with policy formulation but only when it comes to implementation of the policy,” Hunsu said.
He commended the Federal Government for setting up a 17- member implementation, evaluation and monitoring committee for the policy.
He called on the Federal Government to ensure that the policy was thoroughly monitored and implemented in order for the industry to help grow the economy.
Hunsu said there were lots of challenges facing the cotton, textile and garment industry, including funding and infrastructure.
He called on the Federal Government to ensure that all that was required to improve the industry was provided.
“Part of the policy also says that military and paramilitary agencies must buy their materials locally and this is a welcome development,” he said.
“There were times when we were over 100, 000 but due to some of those challenges it reduced.
“I want to call on the Federal Government to ensure that the policy is properly implemented and monitored for the good and development of the textile industry,” he said. (NAN)