KADUNA – The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has made an impassioned plea to the Federal Government to prioritize the revival of Nigeria’s moribund textile industry, declaring it a critical solution to the nation’s unemployment crisis.
During a facility tour of the abandoned United Nigerian Textiles PLC (UNTPL) plant in Kaduna with Industry Minister John Owan Enoh, the former Central Bank governor emphasized that only labor-intensive sectors like textiles can create sufficient jobs for Nigeria’s 200 million population.
Sanusi made the call in Kaduna during a facility tour by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, who visited the long-dormant UNTL plant on Tuesday as part of the federal government’s effort to assess and revitalise the textile sector.
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“You want to have GDP growth. You can have many ways of achieving that. But if you have a country of 200 million people, you need growth in labour-intensive industries. You need manufacturing. You need agriculture. You’re not going to create jobs for 200 million people in niche sectors,” Sanusi said.
He lamented that the collapse of the textile sector was worsened by policy neglect, smuggling, and infrastructure deficits, which led to the shutdown of factories such as UNTL, Supertex, Unitex, and Sanford Textiles.
“You have seen all the investments that are here. Imagine if you could get this alive—what it would do to the economy,” Sanusi remarked after touring the idle facility with the Minister.
He commended the government’s renewed interest in the sector and called for the formulation of policies that would eliminate obstacles and incentivise production.
Sanusi revealed that the Cha family, who are managing UNTPLC, are global players in the textile sector with operations in Ghana, China, Hong Kong, Europe, and the United States, and have not abandoned their commitment to manufacturing in Nigeria.
Despite the setbacks, Sanusi affirmed that the group remains committed to its obligations. “The family will not walk away from its debt, and we will not default. Their reputation and the integrity of the family are extremely important, and we all have our reputations at stake,” he said.
The minister also toured Chellco Industries Limited, a private textile firm in the state, alongside top officials from the Bank of Industry, and later held discussions with stakeholders at Faith Chukker.
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