The Export Brief The Export Brief 2 | Page 47

Secondly, there is no spinning capacity in Nigeria and that also means no versatility. Therefore our designers will rely on imported materials to produce apparels. Thirdly, there is limited availability of industrial skills for garment production. This is one of the main problems identified by a study jointly commissioned by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and NEPC in 2015. These skills range from industrial engineering, plant and machinery engineering, machinist. Tailoring, pattern making, factory management. The absence of industrial garment production orientation is the main reason that Nigeria is not receiving interests like other countries in Africa such as Ethiopia, Mauritius and Rwanda where products for brands like H&M. Calvin Klein, Harrods, Tommy Hilfiger etc. are being manufactured. Mauritius for instance. has concentrated on the apparel sector as a main economy driver over tour decades. attracting over $1 billion in Foreign Direct Investment and creating 45000 jobs In 2015 the country made S933Million from apparel exports which represented 43% of the country‘s exports. Made-in-Nigeria: The Way Forward For Nigeria, things can change. One of the main challenges, infrastructure is being addressed by the Federal Government through its Industrial Clusters/parks in each of the six geopolitical zones initiative spearheaded by the Ministry of Industry, trade and investment, This model has been tested in other climes and should provide the necessary buffers to facilitate manufacturing. To make this much more effective will be to links these clusters with growth plans for specific sectors, so that targets can be set and monitored arid consistent high standards achieved. On the business side, there are a number of jobs and skill sets required along value chains, As with the case in Ethiopia, government and private sector will need to work together to address the skills requirement for sectors and if necessary go back to the education and training curriculum to update them for today‘s needs Sector players should begin to apply specialization orientations to the way of doing business. This way, they can grow expertise and then scale up. As we promote Made in Nigeria for Nigeria and the rest the world, we need to carve our niche. Create and promote strong brands and articulate a value proposition that inspires trust in our products and the brand Nigeria, bearing in mind that trade is buyer driven and technology has made possible for consumers to easily access a wide range of options and choice.