In a significant move to rejuvenate Nigeria’s cotton industry, the Federal Government, in collaboration with the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), has embarked on an ambitious project aimed at creating over 1.4 million jobs annually in the cotton and textile sector. The initiative, which focuses on key components of the cotton value chain—including farming, weaving, ginning, and linking cotton—aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s industrialization drive.
This development was announced following a meeting held on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where Vice President Kashim Shettima and a delegation from the ICAC, led by Executive Director Eric Trachtenberg, discussed the roadmap for revitalizing Nigeria’s cotton industry.
Vice President Shettima, emphasizing the urgency of the project, urged stakeholders to develop a concrete plan for the sector’s revitalization, stating, “It is time to work more and talk less.” He assured that the Tinubu administration would make concerted efforts to harness opportunities within the cotton value chain, including regaining Nigeria’s ICAC membership.
The meeting saw significant participation from key stakeholders, including Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, who highlighted Lagos’s strategic position in the cotton value chain, given its industrial capacity and market potential. Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed enthusiasm for the sector’s revival, committing Lagos’s support to this national effort and emphasizing the state’s role as a major fashion hub in Africa.
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State also voiced his support, highlighting the Southeastern region’s commitment to the project as part of broader economic industrialization goals. He noted the initiative as a crucial step towards job creation and economic recovery.
Eric Trachtenberg, Executive Director of ICAC, expressed satisfaction with the Nigerian leadership’s commitment to the cotton industry’s revival. He underscored the transformative potential of the cotton value chain, drawing parallels with successful examples in China, India, and Pakistan. Trachtenberg affirmed ICAC’s support, promising expert advice and investment facilitation to enhance productivity and boost the value chain.
The meeting also included the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji; Director General of the Budget Office, Dr. Tanimu Yakubu; Director General of the Raw Material Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso; and Director General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Dr. Jummai Tutuwa.
ICAC delegation members present included the Director of Textiles, Mr. Usman Kanwar; Chief Scientist, Dr. Keshav Kranthi; President of the National Cotton Association of Nigeria, Mr. Anibe Achimugu; Vice President of the Cotton Ginners Association, Abdulkarim Lawal Kaita, and representatives of major textile and cotton producers in the country.
This collaborative effort marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s quest to revive its cotton industry, promising substantial job creation and economic transformation for the nation.