The nation’s apparel industry is beginning to gain more traction as more Nigerians develop the capacity to not only design clothes but also own brands that can compete with international brands.
With this, rather than depend on imported clothing, which is putting pressure on the FX, to meet the need of the populace, more Nigerians will now source for locally made brands.
For instance, Esther Wehere, a beneficiary of Women Empowerment Project Scheme Synergy (WEPSS), a women empowerment project of INTELS Nigeria Ltd, Nigeria’s oil and gas logistics giant, recently created a cloth line known as Red Closet through a fashion design firm named Esty’s Fashion.
The coming on board of Red Closet and other clothing lines set up by people who completed WEPSS’ training in the last 10 years, is helping Nigeria to reduce dependence on imports.
Speaking at the donation of a fully equipped fashion shop to Esther Wehere, an indigene of Rivers State and the Best Graduating Student of 2022 Batch ‘B’ of WEPSS, Wehere expressed appreciation to INTELS for training her and for donating the fully equipped facility to her.
She said since completing her training, she has set up a fashion design firm and created a cloth line. She promised to make judicious use of the facility located in Rumuokwurusi, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
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Presenting the keys to the furnished facility to Wehere, Pasquale Fiore, managing director of INTELS Nigeria Limited, said the donation is in line with the company’s commitment to empowering women in the host communities and beyond.
He said when women are empowered economically, their families and the entire society benefits.
Fiore said in the past 10 years, INTELS has trained about 1,800 women in tailoring and fashion design under WEPSS as part of its corporate social responsibility.
He said the company invested substantially in setting up the WEPSS Training Centre at the Federal Lighter Terminal (FLT), Onne Port, Rivers State, where women are trained in tailoring and fashion design in two batches yearly.
The vision for establishing WEPSS, according to him, is to train and empower 5,000 community women over a 20-year period, adding that the fashion industry in Nigeria plays an important cultural role and contributes significantly to the country’s economy.
Also, Osi Wosu, the Community Development Chairman of Rumuokwurusi Town Council, commended INTELS for setting up a fully equipped business for Esther Wehere in the Rumuokwurusi community.
INTELS Nigeria Limited is the leading provider of integrated logistics services for the Nigerian oil and gas industry. It actively supports and adheres to the Federal Government’s local content policy.
It empowers indigenes of its host communities through training, employment, improved welfare, and provision of social infrastructure. It also sponsors development projects including the construction of roads, schools, markets, boreholes, and sports centres, and provides scholarships to indigent students.
