Gov Ahmed Proffers Solution over Ailing Textile Industry

Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has advocated the revival of textile and cotton industries in the country as part of efforts to create jobs and boost the nation’s economy.

Governor Ahmed, who is also the chairman of the ad-hoc committee of the Northern Governors Forum on the reactivation of Kaduna Textile Limited, said this when representatives of the company’s workers visited him at the Government House, Ilorin.

Dr Ahmed added that as part of the revival strategy, an enabling environment would be created for the textile industries to have regular access to reliable energy since irregular electricity supply and cost of maintaining alternative energy supply hinder industrial growth.

The change in policy, he noted, will check the influx of cheap textile materials from Asia at the detriment of the local industry. According to him, “Nigeria has no business importing textile materials. We should be exporters of textile materials”.

Dr Ahmed pledged the commitment of the committee and the Northern Governors’ Forum to the resuscitation of the Kaduna Textile Limited in order to boost employment opportunities and contribute to the country’s GDP.

The leader of the Kaduna Textiles Limited Workers Forum, Engineer Anthony Afolayan in his remarks said since the company was closed down in November 2002, its workers and their families have been passing through difficult times.

Engr Afolayan said the Federal Government through the Bank of Industry could resuscitate the company through access to loan facilities for textile companies.

He also suggested that the Board of Directors of the Kaduna Textile Industry should work towards privatizing the industry to pave way for partnership with foreign and local investors.