Hamma Kwajafa, Director General Textile Manufacturers Association, has said that it will be difficult for Nigeria to attract foreign investments without addressing the challenges in the power sector.
Speaking on Tuesday in Kaduna while addressing the 35th annual National Education Conference of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), he said the power sector is very critical in attracting foreign investments.
Kwajafa noted that the South African economy is doing better than Nigeria because of stable power supply.
According to him, South Africa, with a population of just 60 million people, boasts 50,000 megawatts of electricity, while Nigeria, with a population of over 200 million people, is battling with 7,000 megawatts.
“We say Nigeria is the giant of Africa, but infrastructure is our biggest challenge.
Go to South Africa, they have 50,000 megawatts of electricity for a population of 60 million people. We are 200 million Nigeria, but only 7,00 megawatts. How can thKwajafaat work for the industry” He asked.
Speaking further, Kwajafa said, “All dealers of textile materials now go to China to buy polyester fabrics, and in Nigeria, they are asking us to use backward integration; that we have to buy cotton. This polyester can be produced in Nigeria, but our refineries are not refining in Nigeria for us to get the raw material.
“The refineries are exporting jobs. How can we have four refineries, and none is working? But Dangote could build a refinery. Why can’t our own work? It is nothing but corruption.
“And we are having high petrol price. We need to occupy the refineries, NLC ought to go on strike to demand that refineries work, not when somebody is slapped.
“We must fight to ensure that we have adequate infrastructures; this power must work for us. Without that, we cannot have new jobs and prosperous economy.”
According to him, “the reason the dollar is growing higher every day against the naira is because we are not exporting. Instead, we are the highest importers of Champagne.”
