Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on President Bola Tinubu to direct the Nigerian Armed Forces and other paramilitary agencies to adopt locally produced uniforms as part of efforts to revive the nation’s textile industry and boost employment.
Speaking on Monday at the 37th Annual National Education Conference of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) in Kaduna, Oshiomhole lamented Nigeria’s dependence on imported fabrics, describing it as a major obstacle to job creation and industrial development.
"If we wear what we produce and produce what we wear, we can employ 20 million Nigerians. That is the real meaning of putting Nigeria first," the former Edo State governor said.
The conference, themed "Industry, Labour and National Development," drew union leaders, policymakers and industry stakeholders from across the country.
During the event, the five-storey headquarters of the union, formerly known as the Textile Labour House, was renamed Adams Oshiomhole Textile Labour House in honour of Oshiomhole’s contributions to the labour movement.
The senator, who served as Secretary-General of the union about four decades ago, urged President Tinubu to move beyond rhetoric and adopt concrete policies that would protect local manufacturers.
"As Commander-in-Chief, the President should direct that the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force wear only uniforms produced and sewn in Nigeria," he said to loud applause from the crowd of textile workers.
Recalling the heyday of Kaduna’s textile factories, which once employed over 27,000 workers across three shifts daily, Oshiomhole blamed "reckless government policies" and unrestrained trade liberalisation for the collapse of the once-flourishing industry.
"Those factories didn’t die of old age; they were murdered by bad policies. When we joined the World Trade Organization, we surrendered our right to protect our industries and jobs," he said.
He lauded the foresight of the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, who established the Kaduna Textile Mills in the 1950s, saying the initiative brought dignity to workers and reduced the nation’s dependency on imports.
"Our leaders then knew it made no sense to export cotton and import clothes. That vision created jobs and built communities," Oshiomhole said.
The senator warned that the collapse of the industrial sector had contributed to rising unemployment, insecurity and social tension.
"When people had jobs, nobody cared about religion. Today, with factories shut and millions idle, we have produced anger, not cotton," he said.
While commending President Tinubu’s foreign exchange reforms, Oshiomhole said the measures had curtailed the excesses of "emergency billionaires" who profited from currency speculation.
"Before Tinubu, people made money without effort, just with a phone call. Now, those distortions are being corrected," he said.
Encouraging workers to continue fighting for decent work and fair pay, Oshiomhole stressed the struggle for workers’ welfare was both moral and patriotic.
"Don’t ever apologize for fighting for dignity. The primary purpose of government is the welfare of citizens, not the profit of business," he told the audience.
Reaffirming his commitment to the labour movement, Oshiomhole concluded, "I remain a labour man for life. From age 18, I’ve known no other calling. I will keep fighting until Nigeria returns to the path of production, not importation."
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