The Federal Government has inaugurated a steering committee to lay the groundwork for a new Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Board (CTGDB), with strong desire to breathe fresh life into a once-thriving sector battered by years of decline.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume launched the panel on Thursday, describing it as a cornerstone of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for economic diversification.
Speaking in Abuja, SGF Akume who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in his office’s general services unit, he hailed the industry’s past glories – when it powered industrial growth, sustained rural jobs and bolstered GDP and exports – before its slide into obscurity.
SGF Akume traced the sector’s woes to dwindling cotton output, poor infrastructure, erratic policies, funding shortages, rampant smuggling of foreign textiles and fierce import competition.
The board’s creation stems from deliberations at the National Economic Council’s 149th meeting on 24 April last year.
The SGF called on the committee to champion local production and public-private partnerships, pledging full federal backing for its proposals.
Anibe Achimugu, coordinator of the Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Forum, welcomed the move as a “historic” shift from lobbying to action across the value chain.
