Textiles workers have blamed the ailing fortune of textile industry in the North on the governors, just as they set agenda for President Bola Tinubu in reviving the manufacturing sector of the economy in the country.
The members of the National Union of Textiles Garment and Tailoring Workers Nigeria (NUTGTWN), at the 35th Annual Joint National Education Conference organized by the union, in conjunction with the Nigerian Textile Garment and Tailoring Employers’ Association (NTGTEA) has lamented over the ailing situation of the manufacturing sector, urging President Tinubu to rescue the Industry from total collapse.
The President of NUTGTWN, Comrade John Adaji blamed the Northern State Governors for paying lip service to the revival of the comatose textile factories, saying that Kaduna is home of the first textile industry in Nigeria (Kaduna Textile Limited) established in 1957.
Adaji stated that, ”KTL was a product of Northern regional government-led Industrialization drive; unfortunately, the company has remained under lock and key since 2002 and the benefits of workers yet to be paid.”
Adaji said that the 35th Conference of the Textile Union ” offers a veritable platform to help the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu fulfil its Renewed Hope Agenda with respect to sustainable industrialization and mass job creation”, adding that “Sustainable industrialization requires committed action on the part of government, employers and workers.
“We hope to critically examine all the possible implementation strategies for the revival of textile industry and promotion of decent work.
“Since the inception of the new democratic dispensation in Nigeria, because of the advocacy of the union, successive administrations have demonstrated interest in reviving the industry.”
“But there is a huge gap between policy pronouncement and actual policy implementation. The importance of the industry cannot be over-emphasized. The key to real transformation and economic recovery lies in manufacturing.”
However, he noted that “Over the years, the capacity of the industry has diminished drastically coupled with large scale job losses which has created a pool of unemployed Nigerians with corresponding high poverty levels and increase in crime rates.”
“Today, the cotton, textile and garment sub-sector of the economy which used to be the second largest employer of labour after the public sector is on steady decline due to company closures and massive loss of jobs. Massive and indiscriminate importation of textile products has become the order of the day.”
“We therefore call on the Federal Government to take drastic steps to save this sector through tightening up of the nation’s borders by the Nigeria Customs Service, increase in import duties for finished textile products, granting of tax waivers to local industries, provision of adequate infrastructure especially energy, availability of forex to import raw materials among other measures.”
” It is time to address decisively the perennial challenges facing the textile industry particularly smuggling and electricity supply. We also urge the government at all levels to direct their procurement policies towards patronage of Made in Nigeria Textile fabrics in line with the Executive Order of the previous administration.” He stated
