The Ministry of Defence and Sur-Corporatewear of Turkey, on Thursday in Abuja, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a military and paramilitary clothing and accessories factory in Nigeria.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the MoU was in furtherance of agreement between the two countries to establish the factory in the Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) complex in Kaduna.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Mrs Nuratu Batagarawa and Director General of DICON, Maj.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu, signed on behalf of Nigeria, while the Chairman, Sur-Corporatewear, Mr. Oktay Ercan signed for his company.
The signing was also witnessed by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin and Director General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Mr. Chidi Izuwah.
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Speaking, the Minister of Defence, Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi said that the public private partnership (PPP) between DICON and Sur-Corporatewear was based on the Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) model.
Magashi said the partnership, which began in February 2016, followed a presentation by the company to DICON, ICRC and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).
He said: “The partnership is intended among other things to revitalise the Nigerian textile industry through the development of cotton production and a state of art cotton milling in the country.
“Second, to provide direct employment for over 4,000 employees and numerous labour that would be provided for the value chain.
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“Three, to increase the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and consequently to the growth of export earnings. Four, to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on foreign textile raw materials and finished goods.
“This partnership requires the company to develop a made in Nigeria brand of textile materials and accessories.’’
Earlier, the chairman of the Turkish firm, Ercan said the project would bring about knowledge transfer and service the needs of the Nigerian military.
Ercan added that more than 4,000 jobs would be created through the project, noting that textile was the best form of employment generation industry.
The Director-General of ICRC, Mr. Chidi Izuwah, represented by Mr. Doctor Ohieri, said that the joint venture was aimed at establishing world class clothing factory in Nigeria. (NAN)
