The Union in conjunction with the Nigerian Textile, Garment and Tailoring Employers’ Association (NTGTEA) held its 33rd Annual National Education Conference from Tuesday 30^th November to Thursday 1^st December, 2021 at Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre, Minna, Niger State.

The Theme of the National Education Conference was Building Back Better: Industry and the Union in the Post Covid-19 Era.

The Conference attracted over 400 participants drawn from textile factories and self employed Tailors across the country.

The conference attracted the participation of the Executive Governor of Niger State in representation capacity, critical stakeholders in the textile industry including relevant institutions and agencies of Government, the Nigeria Textile Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (NTMA), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), sister industrial unions, Executive Secretary, Organisation of Trade Unions of West Africa (OTUWA), Director General, Michael Imoudu Labour Institute (MINILS), Academia, union veterans, the media, friends and allies of the union.

The Chief hosts were the union’s President, Comrade John Adaji and Ag. General Secretary, Comrade Ali Baba.

The Conference took reports and debated on the challenges facing the industry and members focusing on ways and means to revive the textile industries, improve welfare of workers and create mass decent employment.

The conference also received inputs from the Ministry of Trade and Investment, Nigeria Textile Manufacturers Association and other critical stakeholders focusing on immediate practical policy options for quick and sustainable revival of textile industry in Nigeria.

It was observed that in spite of efforts to revive the industry, it is still confronted with some challenges, most especially smuggling which remains a critical challenge to the industry, faking of labels, high operating costs of energy, devaluation of Naira and so on.   The Conference urged the Federal Government to accelerate the promised revitalization of the cotton, textile and garment sector and promote value adding processes in agriculture as a way of addressing the high level of unemployment and poverty in the country.  It urged the Federal Government to urgently address the persistent problem of unstable power supply in the country which is seriously affecting local industries.  The Conference also called for intensified effort by the Nigeria Customs Service to combat smuggling which is crippling the remaining textile industries in the country. It also noted that there can be no meaningful progress without addressing the issue of security of lives and livelihood as insurgency has greatly hampered economic activities in parts of the country and across the West African sub region.