From Juliana Taiwo- Obalonye, Abuja

THE Federal Government has thrown its wait behind the ‘Buy Nigeria Campaign’, saying it will help revive the nation’s economy.

This is even as it has said that past attempts to revive the manufacturing industries failed because they had addressed only the issue of funding.

It further stressed that the patronage of made in Nigeria products by Nigerians was not only important but would contribute to the revival of the cotton, textile and garment industries, which is the goal of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo made the Federal Government’s position known at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during a meeting with industry stakeholders and members of the Implementation Committee on the National Cotton, Textile and Garment Policy.

He said, “Nigerians buying Nigerian products is very important and it goes beyond the symbolism of wearing Nigerian-made dresses. It is important for our economy and well-being.”

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Members of the Implementation Committee comprising both government officials and industry stakeholders had earlier highlighted a number of strategies for the revival of the cotton, textile and garments industries including the promotion of Nigeria-made dresses, among others.

The committee specifically proposed a “Wear Naija Day,” where public officials and employees of corporate organisations would all wear locally made fabric.

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had articulated a new policy to revamp the industries through a number of interventions including battling smuggling to attain a 15 per cent reduction by next year; facilitating as addressing the challenges of energy; lifting the ban on importation of finished products and using the duties and levies raised therefrom to support the industries, among several other strategies.

Osinbajo noted that the challenge of smuggling of foreign textile materials into the country had to be tackled, adding that overall, “it is up to all of us to see that this particular initiative works; we have talked enough.”

Earlier, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Aisha Abubakar, noted that the Ministry came up with the Cotton, Textile and Garment policy, CTG to provide “a suit of interventions holistically across the value chain, including encouraging local patronage, controlling smuggling, production of improved seedling, cost of energy, cost of funds, training and upgrading and modernisation of infrastructure.”