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Nigeria: Industry players committee on AGOA constituted |
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2004-7-26
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To effectively map out export strategies to the USA, a committee of weavers and spinners of the textile industry is to be set up, following the recent granting of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Textile Visa to Nigeria.
Disclosing this at an interactive forum Mrs Modupe Sasore, Special Adviser to the President on AGOA, informed the textile manufacturers in Lagos, that Nigeria has crossed the barrier preventing textile manufacturers from engaging in the apparel trade under AGOA.
According to her, the committee would be set up to resolve and streamline the agitations from some quarters, especially from yarn producers that some yarns such as filament yarns and blended yarns not produced in the country should be removed from the list of banned items.
She lauded the efforts of the AGOA Steering Committee, whose tireless diligence ensured that the interest of the industry was taken into consideration and companies, which pooled in funds to engage a U.S. based consultant for its success.
She gave a call to the companies wanting to export yarn and fabric to other sub-Saharan African countries to revive their contacts as they could now trade without restrictions "fabrics and apparel to eligible sub--Saharan countries that engaged in apparel trade under AGOA such as Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mauriti.us, Mozambique, Madagascar, South Africa. Swaziland, Uganda, Namibia, Lesothos and Botswana.”
At the forum, S.N. Sodhi, Chairman, Committee on AGOA, spoke on the importance of AGOA stating that Nigeria’s textile sector was prepared to take advantage of AGOA with all the opportunities presented.
He said specifically, the spinning sector had embarked on massive modernisation in the past two years, adding that the yarn and fabric export to other AGOA countries mainly to Mauritius and South Africa "is feasible upon VISA approval."
He, however, explained that impediments such as customs procedures need to be very clear, registration of companies for AGOA have to be done and windows for effective funding should be opened.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association (NTMA), Mr Jaiyeola Olarewaju, commended the government policy to revive the textile industry.
He said that export from the sector had been doubled in the past two years as a result of this encouragement, while significant improvement on modernisation and expansion to meet international standards through investments.
"As we are already exporting to Europe, we are equally prepared to take advantage of AGOA to the U.S. market," Olarewaju said. |
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