By Olasunkanmi Onifade
A fashion entrepreneur, Mr Abdusalam Lukman, has called on the Federal Government to formally integrate embroidery and digital garment design into national youth employment initiatives.
Lukman, who is popularly known as Embroidery Chief, said such integration would help reduce unemployment, create jobs and ease economic pressure on Nigerians.
He made the call at the official launch of an embroidery warehouse in Abuja on Friday where more than 1,000 youths are expected to be empowered with embroidery and technology-based garment skills.
Lukman said the initiative was designed to create practical job opportunities for young people without requiring lengthy university education.
According to him, embroidery is a labour-intensive and technology-driven sector with strong links to Nigeria’s fashion and creative industries.
“Nigeria needs to create jobs locally. Embroidery offers a practical solution because it is labour-intensive, technology-driven and closely connected to fashion, one of Nigeria’s strongest creative sectors,” he said.
He called on the government to support training, certification and easier access to equipment funding, as well as include embroidery skills in youth employment programmes.
Lukman said beneficiaries would be trained to operate, maintain and digitise designs using industrial embroidery machines.
“We train them to become employable and also employers of labour,” he said.
He noted that increased local production through embroidery would help reduce dependence on imports and ease pressure on foreign exchange.
“Producing items locally will reduce pressure on foreign exchange and benefit the economy,” he added.
Lukman explained that the organisation’s training model combines free training for machine purchasers with monthly selection of participants through an online application process.
He added that a WhatsApp community of more than 500 members had also been created to connect trained operators and designers with business owners.
Other speakers at the event, including Alhaji Aminu Yahaya and a comedian, Real Warri Pikin, also called for government and legislative support for local distribution and production of embroidery machinery.
They urged policymakers to support backward integration and local manufacturing to strengthen the sector and position Nigeria as a regional hub for embroidery production. (NAN)
Edited by Tosin Kolade
