Emefiele meets service chiefs over importation ban on uniforms

Temitope Adebayo

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, has met with service chiefs and heads of paramilitary agencies over the implementation of the Executive Order 3 issued by President Muhammadu Buhari directed security agencies to source their uniforms locally.

Specifically, the directive was targeted at reviving the Nigerian textile industry through enforcement Executive Order 003 on Support of Local Content in Procurement by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.

Speaking at the meeting held at the apex bank headquarters in Abuja which was also attended by the CEOs of many uniform producing companies, the governor said the apex bank had the full backing of the President to achieve its mandate of reviving the nation’s Cotton, Garment and Textile industry.

Emefiele noted that the revival of the almost moribund textile sector was critical to achieving the current administration’s drive towards economic diversification and creating jobs for millions of the unemployed, with emphasis on the agricultural sector’s revolution.

According to him, the priority being placed on the sector is hinged on the conviction that it has the capacity to transform Nigeria’s rural economy and revive the textile and garment industries by creating over two million jobs, improve internal revenue of governments, and reduce $4.0bn import bill incurred annually on textile and apparel importation.

He explained further that the sector also had the potential to safeguard and earn foreign exchange and by implication accelerate the nation’s industrial development.

Emefiele clarified further: “This event symbolizes our commitment to attain self-sufficiency in cotton production with a view to serving the Textile and Garment segments of the value chain with quality inputs as we target zero importation by the year 2020.

“I have been holding meetings with the CTG sector stakeholders toward reviving Nigeria’s textile sector.

“We analysed the huge potentials that exist in the sector, identified the challenges militating against the sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s growth and development and presented quick wins for reviving the sector.

“Crucial to this resolve is the call for patriotism and the need to support local manufacturers of textile through patronage by MDAs as entrenched in Executive Order 003.

“Mr President has directed full compliance with this Order as it will help in addressing the pressure on our foreign reserves through demands for forex for the importation of textile and clothing materials”, the governor added.

He cautioned that governments’ efforts at resuscitating the textile industry would not be actualized if they were not supported through local patronage among other incentives.

On measures put in place by the apex bank to achieve the objectives of the Executive Order, the CBN governor said: “We have put in place necessary mechanisms to ensure the use of high yielding varieties that will produce top quality fabrics and those that can compete in the international market.