The Spcial Adviser to the President on Export Programmes and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mrs. Modupe Sasore, has called on Nigerian entrepreneurs to invest in the apparel production in order to take advantage of the African Growth and Opportu-nity Act before it expires in 2015.

In a keynote address at the commissioning of the Human Capital Development Centre at the NEPC's training school, Sasore noted that Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind in exploring the US market for apparel as less-endowed countries have successfully penetrated the US market for apparel.

According to her, Nigeria's hand-loomed fabrics, hand-loomed articles (e.g., hand-loomed rugs, scarves, place mats, and tablecloths), handmade articles made from hand-loomed fabrics, the folklore articles have been granted duty free access to the US market.

Thanking the US government for extending the third country fabric provision from 2007 to year 2012, she noted that it would go a long way in enhancing the competitiveness of sub-Saharan African apparel in the US market. She said NEPC would continue to take necessary steps in collaboration with relevant agencies to ensure that obstacles to smooth outflow of goods and services are removed. She called on the Nigerian Customs Service to step up its surveillance of the country's border to check the activities of smugglers to salvage domestic textiles and clothing market.

Sasore explained that the Centre was established with the aim of creating a model factory for the production of apparel for export under the AGOA and other export markets, stressing also that AGOA is an Act promulgated by the USA that enhances market access for over 7,000 tariff lines of products for 38 sub-Saharan African countries.

AGOA, she emphasised, provides a unique opportunity for:

The promotion of increased trade and investment between the US and sub-Saharan African countries;

Promotion of economic development and reforms in sub-Saharan Africa;

Promotion of increased market access for African produced goods and opportunities for US investors and businesses in sub-Saharan Africa.

The US market is valued at over $12 trillion, of which apparel represents over $70 billion. Presently, under the AGOA, some beneficiary countries have been able to maximize the provision for 3rd country fabric inputs to expand their apparel export to the United States and Nigeria, being a major textile producing country, can also maximize our strength by producing apparel for export.

As part of its effort at achieving its objectives of trade promotion and development and realizing that the best export performers in the international market are high-technology and skill sensitive products and services, the Council has set up the Human Capital Development Centre to train young Nigerians in commercial garment production for export. The training is free of charge for the beneficiaries who are drawn from all states of the federation and will be done in batches.

The aim of this project is two-fold. Firstly, given the current economic situation of the country where more than 70% of the populace live below the poverty line, this training will help the beneficiaries to acquire skills in garment making and make them self-sufficient. In this way, the Council would be contributing its quota to ensuring that trade reform brings benefit to poor people. Secondly, the council aims to provide a model factory in apparel production suitable for replication in other parts of the country.

The specific objectives of the projects are:

(i) To build the capacity of Nigerian garment producers to become more competitive and effective in their production of apparel for export;

(ii) To inculcate international best practices in apparel production to meet the demands of the international market places.

(iii) Create a pool of skilled labour personnel for employment by garment manufacturers; and,

(iv) Provide facilities for e-commerce in apparel export in line with current international best practices.

Latest AGOA Trade Data currently available on AGOA.info


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