The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) and the Federal Government are working together to bring the dying textile and cotton industries back to life. The government and the ICAC convened at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, according to a statement released on Tuesday, 6 August 2024, by Stanley Nkwocha, the Vice President Media Aide.

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, presided over the meeting. During the meeting, the focus was on creating essential elements of the cotton value chain, which includes farming, weaving, ginning, and joining cotton. These activities align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s industrialization agenda.

Nkwocha said that the goal was to “create over 1.4 million jobs annually in the cotton/textile sector. He also said that the delegation from ICAC is led by its Executive Director, Eric Trachtenberg.

According to the statement, Sen. Shettima asked stakeholders to develop a plan for the revival of Nigeria’s cotton and textile industries, saying that “it is time to work more and talk less.” In addition to guaranteeing that Nigeria regains its ICAC membership, the Vice President gave his word that “the Tinubu administration will make conscious efforts to ensure the country harnesses opportunities in the cotton value chain.”

“Your diverse backgrounds in ICAC give a nuanced understanding of the complexities and opportunities in the cotton value chain,” Shettima said, acknowledging the delegation’s visit and the organization’s dedication to the sector’s development in Africa.

The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, stated in his remarks that his state was in a good position to take advantage of opportunities in the cotton value chain because it is home to the factories, the market, and a vital part of the business ecosystem for the cotton subsector. With an emphasis on job creation and economic change, the governor expressed excitement about the potential and opportunity for the cotton and textile sector to be revived.

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State during the meeting with the ICAC team, said, “As part of the larger goal of industrializing the economy, Nigeria is starting the process of revitalizing the textile industry.”

According to him, the Southeastern region and Imo State would be crucial to the country’s ongoing efforts to revitalize the cotton and textile industries to boost employment and the nation’s industrialization program. He continued, “The meeting has created an opportunity for a new partnership as well as a new beginning in our quest for industrial recovery and creation of jobs for our teeming youth.”

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