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FG Approves Repositioning Of Textile Industry

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The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has  approved policy measures aimed at repositioning the nation’s cotton, textile, garment (CTG), and fashion sectors of the economy.
The Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga, said this when he briefed State House correspondent after the weekly FEC meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Aganga, the policy, which is part of the National Industry Revolution Plan (NIRP) covers the entire fashion value chain from cotton to designing.
He said that there was no better time to intensify implementation of the NIRP than now in view of the huge pressure on the nation’s foreign reserves due to falling oil prices.
“Globally, the CTG sector is a market of about 2.5 trillion dollars, accounting for about 3.6 per cent of the world’s economy.
“In terms of export, it accounts for about 800 billion (dollars); direct employment, close to 60 million and of course indirect (employment) close to 300 million.
“In Nigeria, the cotton and textile sector in the 60s and 80s was actually the second largest employer of labour after government, and was a critical sector of the economy.
“But of course as you know, we have seen a decline over the last two, three decades due to a number of factors:
“High cost of funding, high cost of energy, obsolete equipment and plants and machinery, quality and quantity of cotton, a lot of contamination, smuggling, counterfeiting and dumping.
“These are all the issues that this new policy is here to address.
“The policy measures cut across different sectors and is the most comprehensive plan we have put in place.“
The minister explained that industrial infrastructure, including 15 integrated textile and garment parks, would be established in different parts of the country.
He said the establishment of the parks, whose sites had been identified, would be based on a number of factors including nearness to raw materials and market, and the availability of support infrastructure.
According to him, the policy also contains measures that will address the issues of power supply, financing, availability of pure cotton, and the availability of local market for cotton products.
Aganga said that training on fashion designing was an integral part of the policy, adding that the Federal Government would work closely with some higher institutions of learning in that regard.
• Cue in audio 2 (Aganga)
“This policy measure also has some incentives for existing players in the sector and also for new investors coming in within the next two years.
“There are incentives to make sure that if you come in and invest in the next few years you get certain incentives.
“The last area of policy measures is local patronage, where we are saying that all military and paramilitary agencies and government schools must purchase only Nigerian made textiles and garments for their uniforms once the requisite standards are met.
“In addition, private schools would be encourage and given incentives to source their materials locally.“
• Cue out audio 2
The minister said he would meet with players in the industry in the next few days to study the policy and government’s implementation strategies.
The supervising Minister of Information, Mr Nurudeen Mohammed, the Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen, Minister of Transport, Alhaji Idris Umar and the Minister of Aviation, Mr Osita Chidoka, were at the briefing.(NAN)
ARU/YEE/DCU
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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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