In a recent statement in Kaduna, Hamma Kwajafa, the Director General of Textile Garment and Tailoring Employers, stressed that Nigeria’s quest for foreign investments hinges critically on essential infrastructure like electricity. His comments came during the 35th annual National Education Conference of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN).
According to a report by This Day Live, Kwajafa highlighted the stark contrast between Nigeria and South Africa in terms of electricity provision. He noted South Africa’s achievement of 50,000 megawatts for its 60 million population, compared to Nigeria’s struggle with just 7,000 megawatts for over 200 million people. This disparity, he argued, significantly hampers Nigeria’s industrial sector.
He further addressed the challenges in the Nigerian textile industry, pointing out the trend of importing polyester fabrics from China due to the lack of local production. Kwajafa criticized the inefficiency of Nigeria’s refineries, which forces the industry to depend on imports rather than locally sourced materials. He attributed this issue to corruption and emphasized the urgent need for operational refineries to support local production.
In addition, Kwajafa expressed concern over the rising petrol prices and urged the National Labour Congress (NLC) to demand the functionality of refineries rather than reacting to less critical issues. He emphasized that without adequate infrastructure, particularly in power, Nigeria cannot expect to create new jobs or foster a prosperous economy.
Kwajafa also linked the naira’s depreciation against the dollar to Nigeria’s high import rates, particularly in luxury goods like Champagne, and the lack of export activities. He warned that the country’s heavy reliance on imported goods and services is detrimental to domestic job creation and economic growth.
Echoing these sentiments, John Adaji, President of the Textile Workers’ Union, in his keynote address, urged the federal government to implement drastic measures to salvage the textile sector. He advocated for tighter border controls, increased import duties on finished textile products, tax waivers for local industries, stable power supply, and accessible foreign exchange for raw material imports.
Adaji highlighted the decline of the cotton, textile, and garment sub-sector, once a major employer in Nigeria, due to company closures and job losses. He attributed this downturn to rampant textile product importation and inadequate electricity supply. Adaji called on the government to prioritize the procurement of made-in-Nigeria textile fabrics, aligning with the Executive Order of the previous administration.
