Gombe state Government and the Nigerian Armed Forces comprising Army, Police as well as paramilitary Corps, NYSC and other uniformed services and Nigerian Textile and Garment Manufacturers Association as well as the National Cotton Association of Nigeria and Ginners Association of Nigeria have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) held at the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) headquarters, Abuja for the promotion of cotton farming.
The aim of the MoU was to guarantee steady off-take and processing of cotton lint and cotton seeds; facilitate long-term contracts with Textile and Garment companies to manufacture uniforms in Nigeria for use by various arms of Nigeria’s Uniformed services.
While signing on behalf of the government, Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya expressed his administration’s support for the federal government’s effort at resuscitating cotton, textile and garment industries in the country.
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Inuwa Yahaya who called for collective action and resolve at reviving the cotton value chain, said that Gombe state has since keyed into the federal government’s initiatives aimed at boosting the production of the commodity in the state.
While describing Gombe as one of the highest cotton-producing states in the country, the Governor said that he will continue to encourage the people of the state to embrace cotton farming in order to reap the benefits therein.
He said, “as a farmer, ginner and now, Governor of an agrarian state, I must commend the determination of CBN to revamp the cotton sub-sector” just as he lamented the collapse of textile industries in Nigeria, noting that, “a continuous use of foreign clothes by Nigerians means a continuous drain on the nation’s economy”.
He further charged that “as a people, we must sit up, change our attitude, embrace and value our goods in order to create more jobs, generate wealth and improve our economy”.
In his speech, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele said that the ceremony, was the result of almost two years of activities and consultations with key stakeholders in the Cotton, Textile and Garment value chain.
Gombe State Governor and his counterparts from Kano, Katsina, Kaduna and Zamfara states were members of Textile Revival Implementation Committee (TRIC) constituted by CBN which also had as members, the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Water Resources, Industry, Trade and Investment, the aim of which was to drive the initiative to achieve self-sufficiency in cotton production and textile materials as contained in a statement by Ismaila Uba Misilli, Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the Governor.
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