Minister suggests 'Made in Nigeria' tag for local fabrics

03 Dec '12

2 min read

Fabrics produced in Nigeria should be labelled as ‘Made in Nigeria’ before they are launched in the market, Minister for Trade and Investment Olusegun Aganga suggested at the first Nigerian Hand-made Local Fabrics (NIHLOFAB) expo.

The expo is being held under the theme: “The development and promotion of Nigerian local fabrics in the international market.”

Speaking on behalf of Mr. Aganga, Ginika Nwafor of the Ministry said that labelling an item as a Nigeria-produced product is an advantage, rather than a disadvantage, and hence Nigerians should brand their products as such.

The Minister also informed that his Ministry intends to introduce artistic studies in the curriculum of the tertiary institutions, to help students to exploit the experience bank of hand made products, thus enabling them to gain self-employment upon graduation, rather than waiting for the Government to act.

Nigerians should focus on minute details to earn a competitive edge for their products, he said, adding that production job remains the same everywhere unless people work to improve the value proposition of their products.

However, he expressed concern that the domestically made goods are losing their uniqueness, and hence it is highly necessary that domestically-made products be embedded with ‘Made in Nigeria’ label.

NIHLOFAB Coordinator Mrs. Funmi Ayela said the idea of organizing an expo focusing on local hand-made fabrics evolved during the course of her country-wide visit, when she learnt that there is great scope for promoting domestically-made fabrics in world market.

She said speedy steps need to be initiated for upgrading the local fabric industry to tap these opportunities.

Pointing at the oddity, she said foreigners appreciate the Nigerian hand-made products more than locals. Foreigners visit the country’s villages, procure products from there and go away, without anyone recognizing that exports have taken place, she said.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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