FG to Address Challenges in Cotton Sector, Eyes 2m Jobs

James Emejo in Abuja 

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Adeniyi Adebayo has reiterated the federal government’s commitment to addressing the challenges facing the cotton industry with a view to creating jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.

The minister said the industry has the capacity to transform the rural economy and revive the textile and garment industries by creating over two million jobs, improve internal revenue across the three tiers of government, reduce $4.0 billion import bill incurred annually on textile and apparel, earn foreign exchange as well as make the country a global player in textile and apparel.

Speaking while addressing a delegation of the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) which paid him a courtesy visit, Adebayo pointed out in the 1970s and early 1980s, Nigeria was home to Africa’s largest textile industry, with over 180 textile mills which employed close to over 450,000 people and contributed over 25percent of the workforce in the manufacturing sector. 

He said, “Today, most of those factories have all stopped operations, textile factories are operating at below 20 per cent capacity with a workforce of less than 20,000 people.

“I am happy to announce to you that Mr. President is determined to change the narrative and rewrite the history of Nigeria’s struggling Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) sector. In 2019, the government flagged off the Wet Season Cotton Input Distribution to 150,000 farmers in Katsina under the Anchor Borrowers Programme.”

He said, “They are cultivating over 180,000 hectares of cotton that will feed our ginneries. Production is also ongoing across many states with more to come onboard in the next planting seasons.”

Earlier, President of NACOTAN, Mr. Anibe Achimugu had called on the federal government to revamp the cotton industry to provide jobs for teeming unemployed Nigerian youths.