The Federal Government is to encourage the local production of wears for Team Nigeria contingents on international and continental engagement.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Solomon Dalung gave the indication at the close of a three week National Skills Acquisition Scale – up Training on Tailoring and Fashion designing held at the National Youth Development Center, Tailoring and Fashion Designer’s hub, Ode Omu, Osun State.

Mr Dalung, who explained that the participants had been injected with skills in modern day Tailoring and Fashion designing that would make them compete internationally, added that graduands that distinguished themselves would be engaged to produce the national wears.

Represented by the permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Adesola Olusade, the minister pointed out that the Federal Government embraced investment in skill scaling up in tailoring and fashion designing because of the export advantage of apparel and clothing ahead of Agricultural commodities.

He stated further that such would enable Nigeria to take full benefits of the duty free access commodity export to the United States of America under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), while it would also enhance the attainment of the 2017-2020 Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) of the Federal Government.

Mr Dalung added that the ministry of youth and sports development would provide start up grants to all the participants, with the hope that such would be employed as seed capital to assess funding from Development Financial Institutions.

The programme facilitator, Mr Ndukwe Obu appealed to the Federal Government to promote such intervention from across all sectors of the economy to put an end to the importation of goods that could be ordinarily produced in Nigeria.

Earlier, the project coordinator, Mr Simeon Oduyebo said the Tailoring hub in Ode Omu, Osun state had been equipped with computerized sewing machines, as well as button and weaving machines to improve the skill of youth across the country in Tailoring and Fashion designing.

Some of the participants including Mr Moses Rimza from Plateau said the training had exposed him to the use of sophisticated modern equipment, while Mrs Charity Obone from Edo States explained that she had learnt how to perfect finishing in sowing, a situation which she maintains does not make Nigeria wears competitive.
Eighty young persons who have between 3 and 10 years professional experiences, comprising twenty seven male and fifty three female drawn from the thirty six states of the federation participated in the programme.

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