Nigeria imported over $138 million worth of textiles products from India in 2012, the India High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Mahesh Sachev, has said.
Sachev, who disclosed this during the opening of Indian Textile Exhibition (INTEXPO) organised by The Synthetic and Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC) in collaboration with High Commission of India, held recently in Lagos, noted that the share of import of man-made fibre textiles by Nigeria in her overall import of textiles was nearly 52 per cent.
He reiterated his country’s readiness towards cementing Memorandum of Understanding on textile trading that was signed with Nigeria two months ago.
“Nigeria has a very vibrant textile industry that is capable creating millions of job for its teeming unemployed youths. That is the driving force behind this exhibition, to collaborate for economic stability. India had been involved in Nigeria’s textile market, now we would be more relevant,” the envoy said.
He noted that India textile industry currently provides over 50 million jobs to its populace, adding that it was rated as the world’s second largest producer of cotton, silk, cellulosic fibre and cotton yarn.
The High Commissioner allayed the fear by Nigerians that India is in Nigeria to overtake her textile industry.
He explained that the Indians are here in Nigeria to collaborate and not to compete with Nigerian made products.
Also speaking, the First Secretary, High Commission of India, Lagos, Mrs. Rani Malock, said that the exhibition was aimed at forging a win-win partnership among the Indian and Nigerian companies for effective forward and backward linkages.
“This would go a long way to strengthen trade between the two countries through the exhibition, particularly in the fast growing area of man made textiles,” she said.
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