National Economic Council, NEC, has approved the establishment of Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Board.
Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma announced the directive, while briefing State House Correspondents at the end of the 149th NEC meeting chaired by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Uzodimma explained that in order to make the board function effectively, council approved a proposal for Public-Private Partnership, PPP.
He said the chairman of the board would be selected from the private sector, while the board would be funded from import levies on textiles.
According to him, “The National Economic Council, among other things, received a representation from members and leadership of the Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Forum.
“These are private sector operatives who are into the cotton business, garment and textiles, and the presentation highlighted their proposal on how to revitalise the cotton industry in Nigeria.
“The council endorsed the presentation and approved the establishment of a national and regional offices for the board in each of the six geopolitical zones for proper coordination”.
Also speaking, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State said the council also received a proposal from the Minister of Livestock Development on acceleration strategy for the livestock industry.
He said the presentation was on a plan to transformation the livestock industry between 2025 and 2030.
Diri added that the strategy was built on the national livestock growth acceleration plan, which is expected to transform the sector, create jobs, export products and serve as an engine room for internally generated revenue.
“The projection is that the strategy will generate between $74 billion down and $90 billion in that sector by 2035.
“It will be a direct partnership with governors, the private sector and foreign investors under a very sound federal regulatory umbrella,” Diri noted.
Adding that the investment would be prioritised into five key pillars between 2025 and 2026, Diri identified the pillars as Animal Health and Zones Control, Feed and Further Development, Water Resources Management, Statistics and Information and Livestock Value Chain Development.
