Nigeria attracted $3.5bn investment to unlock textile industry, says minister

Doris Uzoka-Anite, the minister of industry, trade and investment, says the federal government has attracted $3.5 billion to boost the textile and apparel industry.

Uzoka-Anite spoke in Abuja on Tuesday during the sectoral report on President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office.

The minister said efforts have been put in place to optimise the performance of the Nigerian cotton, textile, and apparel industry in collaboration with development partners and private sector players.

“So far, we have attracted $3.5 billion to unlock the textile quality apparel industry. As you know, Nigeria’s textile and apparel industry covers the entire clothing value chain and has a strong potential for growth, availability of cotton and the country’s largest market size,” Uzoka-Anite said.

“This industry is one of the top contributors to the manufacturing sector of the economy with huge potential for employment of both skilled and unskilled labour and  with excessive capacity for generating exports early and attracting foreign direct investment and therefore reducing poverty.”

‘WE’VE MATCHED 4,000 PEOPLE TO JOBS’

Speaking on job creation as part of the mandate of the ministry, Uzoka-Anite said 4,000 people have been matched to jobs across different sectors.

“We launched or established the Renewed Hope Job Centre in collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN) to match available vacancies in industries or businesses with very good talent pools across the country. This is both a physical and digital audition,” she said.

“Currently, we are piloting it and we’re able to run it across the country. So far, we have matched 4,000 people to job opportunities.

“We are going to increase our reach out to businesses to post their vacancies on our platforms for Nigerians to access the job opportunities that are available.”

Uzoka-Anite also said the ministry is engaging and has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with world-class organisations and governments to outsource jobs.

She said so far, “an MOU to outsource 50,000 jobs from the United States of America to Nigeria, where our own skilled workforce provide tech support for businesses in the US” has been signed.