Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
As part of the plans for the establishment of Textile and Garment Development Board, the national economic council (NEC) has approved the establishment of national and regional offices for the board.
This means that offices will exist in each of the six geopolitical zones for proper coordination and management.
NEC approved the establishment of the cotton, textile and garment development board on Thursday after the 149th NEC meeting, chaired by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, at Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo State, while making the announcement said in order to make the board function efficiently, the council approved a proposal for public-private partnership.
He said the board’s chairman would be selected from the private sector, adding that the board would be funded from import levies on textiles.
“The National Economic Council, among other things, received representation from the members and leadership of Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Forum,” the governor said.
“These are private sector operatives who are into the cotton business, garment and textiles and the presentation highlighted their proposal on how to revitalise the cotton industry in Nigeria.
“The Council endorsed the presentation and approved the establishment of national and regional offices for the board in each of the six geopolitical zones for proper coordination.”
In a tweet via his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Vice President Kashim Shetima said the move was to reposition Nigeria’s economy and tackle insecurity at its roots.
He also said the board was established alongside new strategies for agribusiness expansion and livestock transformation—initiatives projected to generate up to $90 billion in economic value by 2035.
“Other initiatives approved by the Council included the establishment of the Green Imperative Project (GIP) national office in Abuja, with regional offices across the six geopolitical zones, as well as measures to address the crises fuelled by the current system of animal husbandry in the country,” he wrote.
