Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State says in Lagos that the state is evolving an all-encompassing framework on various designs as well as massive production of Adire and other local fabrics with a view to clothing Nigerians and export to other countries of the world.
The governor, who was chief host at the Ogun State Day, one of the programmes slated for 2016 Lagos International Trade Fair organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), noted that Ogun being the traditional maker of Adire, tie-and-dye local fabrics, was undergoing serious repositioning to modernise and incentivise production of local fabrics.
Governor Amosun, who was represented by deputy governor, Yetunde Onanuga, said though there had been effort towards developing Adire and other local fabrics designs and production before now through provision of soft loans and required infrastructure, the state government was adopting multi-dimensional approaches, which facilitate massive production the local fabrics for local consumption and exports.
He said, “In line with the economic diversification programme of Nigeria’s government and even the private sector. Ogun state is repositioning Adire for local consumption and exports. Our administration has continued to support massive production of Adire and other local fabrics through the provision of single-digit interest loan to producers of Adire with the support of Bank of Industry (BoI).”
Also, Bimbo Ashiru, commissioner for commerce and industry, reiterated that the government would continue to provide enabling business environment for existing and would-be investors operating in the state, saying over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs had been created in the last four years through a single-digit interest N1 billion loan jointly financed by State government and the Bank of Industry (BoI) as 1,050 individuals operating within MSMEs sector benefitted from the credit facility.
Ashiru said, “On our own part as Government we have set our developmental plan in areas of rural and infrastructural development, employment generation, improved agricultural production that leads to industrialization. As a matter of priority, we created employment for our teeming youths through MSMEs.
“It is in realisation of these that the MSMEs financially, by collaboration with the Bank of Industry (BoI), to provide N1 billion Industrial Development Fund to enable business operators to have access to soft loan at a single-digit interest rate.”
Earlier, Nike Akande, president, LCCI, said the 30th Lagos International Trade Fair was targeted at the ‘Positioning Nigerian Economy for Diversification and Sustainable Growth,’ which was in accordance with the Nigeria’s government mission to wean the economy away from overdependence on oil sector.
