Vice-President of Industrial Global Union, Mr. Issa Aremu says the textile industries is capable of generating over 2.5 million jobs in Nigeria if rejuvenated.
He advised the current government to resuscitate the textile industries, noting that it could create 100 million jobs over the next 10 years.
Aremu made the call on Saturday in Lokoja at a one-day interactive session on the five-year policy trust of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) – (2019-2024). The session was organised by the CBN, in collaboration with organised labour and other stakeholders.
Aremu, who is also the General Secretary, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NVTGTWN), said, “Now, the challenge is that many gineries have come back and are ginning the cotton seeds. They will then move to milling, weaving, spinning and the final product.
“You won’t believe it, uniforms for the Nigeria Customs Services, Police and the Army are produced in Bangladesh and India.
“Consider the security implications among other things. You know what, the few textile industries remaining have the capacity to produce them (the uniforms).
“We can even use it to kick-start new factories and you can imagine if we all agree that uniforms of primary and secondary school children should be produced locally, many of the garment factories will come back and this will get youths gainfully employed,” he said.
