[The Legislative Blog]: Now that the fashion industry has the attention of the Senate President…

It looks like Uche Nnaji just got the fashion industry a good deal with the National Assembly.

CEO of top Nigerian fashion brand OUCH, Uche Nnaji took to his Instagram on Friday to pen a letter to the Senate President Bukola Saraki on how the #MadeInNigeria campaign is unrealistic in growing the fashion industry in the country.

He touched on production, importation and the sheer unwillingness of many top political office holders to patronise Nigerian-made products.

Read:

LETTER TO THE SENATE PRESIDENT :
Dear Sir,
As a Nigerian who started making clothes as an undergraduate 14years ago for fellow student and officially launched his brand Fashion Brand 10yrs ago and today to the glory of God has almost 10 RETAIL stores In Nigeria employing NIGERIAN Graduates and Tailors , I believe I speak for the legion of NIGERIANS in the FASHION industry who I MENTOR directly & indirectly.
Sir , Do you know that just last quarter of 2016 a serving minister of d Federal Republic of Nigeria in which you are the number 3 man looked at me in the FACE and told me that Nigerian designers can’t make what he would wear??.
He would rather have INDIANs make his traditional outfits or like some others prefer to have them made in DUBAI.
Sir, it makes me wonder, how many members of the National Assembly , MINISTERS ,DGs and FG Executive council members are really ready to use the money they earn from TAX PAYERS to buy Made in Nigeria CLOTHES.??.
Dear Mr Senate president Sir,Did anyone tell you that 2nd RICHEST man in the world MAKES and sells CLOTHES???
The fashion industry in Nigeria has the potential of becoming a new BLACK GOLD if well harnessed, The VALUE CHAIN is in the Billions of Dollars.
Sir, if really you desire for MADE IN NIGERIA to be a reality and thrive you should call a STAKE HOLDERS in the Fashion Industry and in saying Stake holders I mean people that have PHYSICAL factories and RETAIL stores in Nigeria with the potential of assisting the FG to ease the UNEMPLOYMENT epidemic in the Nigeria .

Sir, It would be unfair if some of us are willing to stop our existing production in EUROPE and even ASIA all in the PATRIOTIC mantra of building MADE IN NIGERIA , but then we cannot even get Import WAIVERS to bring in essentials that we don’t PRODUCE here like quality THREADs, GUM STAY or other basic TAILORING Accessories.
Sir, To BUILD and GROW factories that will employ the unemployed Nigerian YOUTHS we cannot meet the commercial banks for support, Also BOI and other related financial institutions need to take it easy with the RED TAPEs and give SUPPORT to the real people building Fashion business and BRANDS.

 

Uche Nnaji got the attention of Senator Bukola Saraki who dropped two messages in the comment section inviting fashion stakeholders to the forthcoming Made in Nigeria roundtable set to hold in the National Assembly in March. The Senate President also mentioned that “a huge chunk of the 2017 budget can go to Nigerian manufacturers” if both parties work in alliance.

The fashion industry in Nigeria is one that has seen great leaps and has gained international recognition in the past two years, if the MadeInNigeria campaign is to be successful, bringing on these professionals is the way to go.

But we’re here for how all of these will turn out…

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

cool good eh love2 cute confused notgood numb disgusting fail