One key factor we all need to note is that, industrialization promotes local productivity since demand will grow and market availability will then boost productivity. The Cross River Garment Factory will boost the Nigeria Textile industry.
1. Competitive Advantages:
The Calabar Garment Factory is not one of its kind in Nigeria alone but Africa. Africa is a large market to all industrialised nations. For a consuming continent to fear the step of venturing into Production is one blindness that have kept us backward. Competition is a positive boost to business and hence the planners of the Calabar Garment Factory are not blind to it. Being the first, it is a pointer to boost professional and technological Garment making with speed, ease, quality.
2. Cost:
With the same technology, it is far cheaper to produce an American standard Shirt in Nigeria than in America. The China situation is clear for all to study. Given the cheap labour, importing Fabric into a standard Garment Factory in Nigeria to make an American standard Shirt is cheaper in economic or political terms.
3. Patronage:
Nigerians are not fools as some persons take them to be, we can tell the difference between a well made Shirt and a shabby made one. We can tell when even our enemy’s cloth is better made than ours.
We can make better clothes in Calabar Garment Factory like the rest of the world. America and Britain only set standard for products getting into their countries, not that other countries cannot produce qualities of their standard. With right technology Nigeria can produce far better products. Nigeria Cable is rated among the best in the world.
4. Marketing Catching Points:
Nigerian Army, Navy, Police, Airforce Uniforms etc. The paramilitary Uniforms, NYSC Uniform, and many other Government and corporate bodies. What of our Political Campiagns wears? School Unform etc. Most of these contracts are given out and production is done outside this country.
It is therefore sad to hear people say the establishment of the Garment Factory is of no value when it is targeted to one basic need of man.
In as much as some mention the Aba Garment makers as having the knowledge of the Nigeria business environment. What other Garment makers out side Nigeria use to beat our local Garment makers is technology which enhance speed, accuracy, ease and style swift. And that, the Calabar Garment Factory is not establish to send out the Aba Garment makers but to enhance their speed and give them opportunity to compete favourable with foreign garment makers by partnering with the Calabar Garment Factory.
5. Availability of skill manpower:
China today took over the world with one strategy, cheap manpower. If a country of about 170 million people talented and skilled in all arts of live lacks skill manpower for Garment making, then we are not a people. Training can not be more expensive than the cost of building such a structure. The Garment Factory can not lack Skill Manpower, not in my Nigeria. Aba boys will sue any man who dare say such.
6. Funding:
The Garment Factory is created under the Public Private Partnership ( PPP). A public private partnership is a legally-binding contract between government and business for the provision of assets and the delivery of services that allocates responsibilities and business risks among the various partners. In a P3 arrangement, government remains actively involved throughout the project’s life cycle. The private sector is responsible for the more commercial functions such as project design, construction, finance and operations.
8. Raw Materials:
Today African fabric is not lacking behind, our people are gradually returning back to our own ways of dressing. Making clothes using our local Fabric in styles and fashion that attracts the world. To show case their creativity, clothes makers organise a lot of Fashion shows and attracts a lot of attention to new styles. The Garment Factory does not only have enough raw materials in the African fabric, but it is going to serve as a vehicle through which African Fabric is about to be show case to the world.
With our tourism potentials, Carnival, pageantry and rich cultural heritage, Nigeria and indeed Africa will stand tall with the patronage of the Calabar Garment Factory.
The basic primary Raw materials resources of a Garment Factory is the Fabric. Just like the basic primary raw material for a Tylor is Fabric.
