With 10,000 garments produced per day from its recently established factory—the largest in the West Africa subregion—Kwara Garment Factory looks poised to take at least 2% of the world garment market when it fully opens for business, according to a top official.One of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq's several measures to promote socioeconomic progress in the state is the clothing factory.
"The market for ready-to-wear clothing is severely lacking. The majority of Nigerians rely on imports. It is depressing that Nigeria is home to many creative talent who are unable to produce in large quantities. Managing director of the state's garment factory Olubukola Kifayat Adedeji told reporters during a tour of the plant in the state capital of Ilorin, "This is one of the gaps we intend to fill."
Here, we reinterpret the manufacturing of clothing in Nigeria and throughout West Africa. We will be designing and producing ready-to-wear clothing for national and international brands as well as corporate entities. Asia is the largest producer of clothing worldwide, with China accounting for 31.3% of the market. However, Nigeria holds a 2.7% market share, while Africa holds a 6.7% share. We will be able to control at least 2% of the market with this clothing factory.
According to Adedeji, the facility is equipped with some of the most advanced machinery for producing ready-to-wear clothing, such as the Oshima automatic fabric cutting machine, which is currently the first of its kind to be put into service in West Africa.
She stated that since the factory is now hiring its first group of employees, clothing manufacturing would start in the first quarter of 2024. She also expressed her admiration for the caliber of talent that has showed up since the exercise started."We are currently in the hiring phase. Every piece of equipment we need is here. Every machine has undergone testing. Supervisors have been hired by us. We're moving on to the next round of hiring, which will involve finding production employees. We plan to hire 300 people at this time, and when we reach full capacity, we want to hire 4,000 people, Adedeji stated.
"This one is significantly larger than any previous one that has ever existed." The opening of this plant would increase domestic revenue generation for the people of Kwara State. It will allow the state's economy to expand along various value chains. All areas of the state economy will experience growth when we get going, including raw material supply, catering services, and local transportation. The state economy is strengthened by it. Additionally, exporting will provide the state with foreign exchange revenue once we get going.
"There are plans for backward integration in the future. Our technical partners are delivering raw materials and will be with us for a few months. However, our ultimate goal is to reintegrate and procure our raw materials from nearby sources. Establishing a farm to grow our cotton is one of the things we are considering doing in order to make our products more competitively priced on the worldwide market at all times. We are confident that we will be available in all markets as soon as we have steady, competitive prices."A section for rigorous quality control has been established. A spot is designated for the stacking of final goods. If the products don't meet our standards, they won't be permitted to exit this factory. To ensure that our high standards are upheld, quality control officers will always get ongoing training and rotation.
According to her, a thorough feasibility assessment that identifies market shortages and provides guidance on how to enter the market while maintaining sustainability was followed in establishing the facility.
Adedeji stated, "We are looking at 10,000 garments daily because we have a cutting machine which is one of its kinds in West Africa, at the moment. We are aware that there is a gap and we are looking to fill it." In an eight-hour shift, it can cut 10,000 outfits. That means our goal is to make 10,000 clothes a day.
We have more than 1500 equipment here, therefore hiring up to 4,000 people will be necessary. It provides jobs and a means of empowerment for the populace. We are especially sympathetic to young people and women who lack experience. Many of our young people are talented, and this is an opportunity for them. It will serve as a center for creativity rather than just a factory producing clothing. The young people are welcome to attend and show off their talents. It will be a location where innovation and practicality collide. We'll support them as they hone their skills.
"Those who won't be employed at the facility will still have access to training options. For those who will only be trained for a month or two before using their gift elsewhere, we provide training facilities. We already have volunteer fashion designers who are eager to come and provide free training to young people. We're not obligated to pay them. However, we will give them the resources to achieve this, mostly for export.
Our goal for sustainability in the future is to form public-private partnerships. It is our belief that the private sector, being profit-driven and having invested financial resources, will stop at nothing to ensure its continuation. We are keeping an eye out for that in the future to make sure it doesn't become redundant.We are aware that Ilorin is synonymous with Aso-Oke, and some of the designers with whom we have spoken want to produce ready-to-wear clothing for export using Aso-Oke materials. Without a doubt, we will engage with the Aso-Oke market and sector. Since Aso-Oke is a part of our history, it will be one of our primary brands.
"One of Kwara State Garment Factory's primary goals is to change the Nigerian garment manufacturing landscape and gain international prominence. All clothing styles will be produced by KWSGF in accordance with the specifications given by clients who place large orders. Mass manufacturing and small-scale production contracts will be the basis for which KWSGF provides its services. Designing and producing ready-to-wear clothing for regional and global markets, as well as for brands and corporate entities, will be the focus of KWSGF.