A trip to the ever busy Broad Street on the Lagos Island, particularly around the Mandilas House, will show sellers brandishing coats, packed shirts, other office wears and catalogues of imported clothes.
The Mandilas market, which derived its name from the location in the precinct of Mandilas House, is a hub of trendy unisex corporate wears, jeans, shoes and other assortments.
The sellers are desperate to lure prospective buyers to purchase materials on display or to further entice shoppers into the inner recess of the Mandilas market.
The yearly volume of business in the market can run into several millions of dollars, depending on the economic situation of the country.
Although official statistics are not readily available as the market is part of larger informal sector in Nigeria, but the market was a beehive in the past when the Nigeria economy was booming and the local currency, the naira, cheaper and stable.
But the current economic recession and particularly the high foreign exchange rate have sent prices of imported items in the market far beyond the reach of average Nigerian worker.
In the mid-2000s, when the economy was better, the local currency was stable at exchange rate of average of N157 to the dollar.
But today, the naira is on the average of N420 to the dollar at the black market and N380 to the dollar at the CBN official segment.
The reality of the Nigerian economic situation is now forcing residents to look inward and patronise made-in-Nigeria goods.
This change of orientation is affecting all segments of the Nigerian economy.
Nigerian brands, particularly locally made and designed clothes and fabrics are now the fad.
Some experts said that current efforts to promote Nigeria wears as corporate dresses or casual wears will help to harness the potential goldmine in Nigerian textile and fashion industry.
They say popular adoption of locally made and designed wears can spearhead recovery of the nation’s economy.
The adoption of local wears will also check importation of foreign clothes and lessen demand for foreign exchange.
According to the Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association (NTMA), Nigeria spends about four billion dollars annually to import foreign clothes.
The high demand for foreign clothes has forced the closure of many textile companies in the country. At the peak of the economic boom in the early 1980s, Nigeria had 84 textile mills. The number has dropped to 24 now.
The workforce in these industries nationwide has also been reduced from 250,000 to about 20,000.
Nigerian textile market is current dominated by imported foreign products, while local wears constitute mere five per cent of the market share.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) also said that the textile sector contributed a meager seven per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has stressed the importance of Nigerians adopting locally designed fabrics.
“Buying Nigerian made products is very important and it goes beyond the symbolism of wearing Nigerian-made dresses.
“It is important for our economy and well-being,” he said.
Mr Abiodun Akinkunmi, the Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, said that the Nigerian textile and garment sector had a strategic role to play in economic development.
“Africa is behind in terms of industrialisation because it has become over supplied with garments from China and last season used clothes from Europe and U.S. that are sold at give away price.
“This low price rather than boost the African market kills our cultural heritage. Our love for foreign clothes is destroying our economy,” Akinkunmi said.
A corporate entity in Nigeria that is already adopting local wears as corporate dress code is the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS).
NIBSS recently directed its workers to wear locally designed fabrics to the office from Monday to Friday.
Although, the adoption of this policy has not been fully embraced by all the workers of NIBSS, the local designer engaged by the company, said he already had too many orders for now.
The Nigerian financial industry dictates the corporate dressing tone in the country and if more organisations adopt this decision, there will be more businesses for local designers and manufacturers.
The National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria said that it was equal to this task.
It said it was capable of producing vast array of textile materials and designs which include African prints, shirting, bed sheets,
furnishing fabrics, towels, embroidery lace, garments, table and bed linen, guinea brocades, wax prints, java prints, jutes and fishing nets.
Mr Hamma Kwajaffa, the Director-General, Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association (NTMA), said that design, quality and quantity of local fabrics had improved due to manufacturers’ access to various intervention funds from government.
He, however, complained that patronage of local fabrics was low.
He stressed that 95 per cent of the local market had been taken over by clothes imported from China and India.
Kwajaffa puts the current capacity utilisation of the sector to as low as 25 per cent.
He said there was room for increased capacity utilisation, adding that the sector could meet the demands of the country if given enabling environment.
Kwajaffa, who is also the Director-General of Nigerian Textile, Garments and Tailoring Employers Association (NTGTEA), said that the Nigerian fashion industry had evolved to reposition local designers and fashion entrepreneurs for emerging opportunities in the globalised world.
He said that acceptance of Nigerian designers in international fashion shows revealed the glowing creativity and success of local designers.
Mrs Funmi Ajila-Ladipo, the President, Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN), said it was possible to design corporate wears with indigenous fabrics at relatively lower costs.
“It is the mindset of our people that needs to change.
“Designs and colours can be integrated to conform to a look that is appropriate for each profession and favoured by a broad clientele.
“We have even seen some level of ingenuity in the use of Ankara for wedding gown. It depends on the designers’ creativity and versatility with fabrics.
“Nigerian clothing, made mostly from local fabrics, has come to stay and the designs are becoming the people’s favourite,” Ajila-Ladipo said.
The FADAN president advised the Federal Government to empower more tailors through capacity building and provision of a production hub for the fashion industry.
She also called for encouragement of more investments in production of tailoring materials to increase the local contents in the materials.
Mr Adebayo Adegbe of Modela Couture said that the emergence of more young designers had been driving the resurgence of bespoke corporate wears.
“There are many young designers, who will come to you, take your measurements, show you sample fabrics and create ready made suits and exquisitely tailored 100 per cent cotton shirt with your personal monograms.
“They produce suits that are beautifully proportioned and styled, interpreting personal requirements to create a unique and exceptional garment.
“We must give priority to the fashion industry and, indeed, the entire spectrum of the manufacturing sector to improve the fortunes of many Nigerians that are self independent and striving for success,” Adegbe said.
Some bankers, however, have expressed divergent views on the suitability of adopting locally designed dresses as office wears.
Mr Eugene Akerele, a banker, said that adoption of local fabrics for corporate clothes could be a departure from official norm.
“I feel it will look casual and will not depict the formal etiquette of the global corporate world.
“Most organisations are business oriented; therefore, the image of the staffs should align with the mission of the organisation.
“More so in most organisations, it is expected that the room temperature of offices should be chilly, thick clothes will be required to stay warm and healthy in such environments,” Akerele said.
Mrs Adeola Adetiba, also a banker, thinks differently.
She said that adoption of indigenous fabrics for corporate wears would be innovative and economical.
“It will be a welcome development for me because all the clothes that are mostly untouched in my wardrobe and reserved only for parties can be converted to daily use.
“I only need to downplay the accessories so that I do not appear too glamorous for official look.
“This will save me a lot of money, especially in this harsh economic climate of the country. Suits that I usually buy for N25,000 now cost about N40,000; shirts that cost N7,000 before now range between N10,000 and N15,000.
“But using local fabrics, I won’t spend up to that to look official. Moreso, with most organisations reducing salary of their staffs, purchasing power has declined.
“I think the adoption of this novel idea should be given due consideration for mutually beneficial growth,” Adetiba said.
Experts agree that government must provide enabling environment for textile manufacturers and fashion designers to thrive.
For the sector to be internationally competitive, government must provide critical infrastructure, encourage local patronage, reduce smuggling, provide access to low funds and capacity building.
They also called for adoption of a policy road map for creation of fashion clusters and Integrated Textiles and Garment Parks (ITGPS).
The experts say there is more than a compelling need for everyone to support the growth of the industry in view of the critical role it can play in reviving the Nigerian economy.
The onus also lies on the citizens to support the growth of the entire textile and garment value chain in order to boost job creation and a future of shared prosperity for Nigerians.
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