Textile sector in “state of emergency”
17/11/2008
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) is now urging the Senate to declare a state of emergency in the industry soon. The association’s vice president, Walid Jibrin, explained that this move is a vital step in order to avoid the complete collapse of the industry, which he says is worth $1.3 billion a year.
He claims that more than 175 textile enterprises have already closed, causing 250,000 to lose their jobs. He blames poor power and water supplies, high fuel costs and the influx of counterfeit goods.
Furthermore, according to Mr Jibrin, only 25 of the country’s textile factories are currently in operation and even these are working at just 30% capacity or less. He called for aggressive measures to protect manufacturers from counterfeit goods and asked for support from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and customs officers. He also sought intervention from the National Assembly to ensure the N70 billion ($594.4 million) in textile loans, promised by the government, is delivered.
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