The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has asserted that the fashion industry in Nigeria has the capacity to attract the highest revenue.
He stated this in Calabar, Tuesday when he attended this year’s World Tourism Day (WTD) ceremony in Cross River.
The minister also visited tourism sites and factories built by Governor Ben Ayade’s government.
He said the ministry had commissioned a study on the effects of COVID-19 on the tourism industry. “Amazingly, we found that even though Nigeria is known for film, music but that in-terms of receipt, the fashion industry yields the highest revenue.”
Some of the factories he visited included the state garment factory in Calabar.
He explained, “The garment factory is very interesting to me because, at the pick of the COVID-19, it came in handy. It produced face masks and became the solution to the COVID pandemic challenge and changed the thinking of the world on the type of materials that can be used for face masks.
The minister said while music generates about N300 billion a year and film about N179 billion, the fashion industry has about N2 trillion in revenue.
“So the market for this garment factory is unlimited. It is a huge investment.”
The Minister urged other state governors to emulate the industrialization policy of the Cross River State Governor, saying the industries generate both direct and indirect employment opportunities for the people.