The first fashion and textile industry stakeholders’ forum is coming up next month in Lagos.

In a statement organisers, Best of the World, B.OW, said the forum which will bring together relevant stakeholders in the fashion and textile industry, is aimed at rejuvenating the sector with a view to creating employment and export earnings for Nigeria.

The statement said the support of the state government in promoting clusters system  will not only promote the business of investors, but will also attract tourists to patronize made-in- Nigeria fashion products and accessories (such as fabrics, bags, shoes, shirts beads etc) thereby boosting foreign exchange earnings as well as creating employment.

Already, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON and the Nigeria Textile Manufacturers Association, NTMA, have pledged to support BOW to put life back into the clothing and textile sector of the economy.

The Director General of SON, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, said the sector needed the support of all and sundry in order to bring it back to its former glory.

Similarly, the Director General of NTMA, Mr. Olarewaju Jaiyeola, said the ideas as canvassed by BOW were very laudable, pointing out that if given all the necessary support, they were capable of sustaining the economy once again, especially if a value chain is created, right from cotton production, all the way down to the end users.

He informed the meeting that governments of some Eastern African countries were already doing same. He then proceeded to pledge NTMA’s total support to the project.