Gwagwalada:Abuja Nigerian fashion is gaining global attention, according to Prof. Adeniran Lateef, Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Students’ Mentorship at Yakubu Gowon University. He made this observation during the launch of a six-month fashion design and garment-making training programme in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the training is conducted by Everest Heights Ltd., an accredited skills training centre, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education. The programme is part of the World Bank-backed Innovation, Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills Technical and Vocational Education and Training (IDEAS-TVE?).
Prof. Lateef encouraged trainees to embrace innovation in fashion design, highlighting that creativity and value addition could enhance earnings and expand market opportunities. He noted that the tailoring business is experiencing steady global growth, with increasing demand for Nigerian garments internationally. Fashion design, he explained, goes beyond tailoring as it adds value to clothing, with Nigeria’s garment export trade evolving into a multi-billion-naira industry.
Dr. Olubukola Dosunmu, Co-Founder of Everest Heights Ltd., stated that the IDEAS-TVE? programme is designed to equip young, unemployed, and disadvantaged Nigerians with essential skills for self-reliance. The centre, approved after inspection, is training its first cohort of 50 beneficiaries recruited through grassroots mobilisation.
The six-month training programme includes mentorship and internship components, with plans to provide incentives such as tailoring machines through partnerships with service providers. Dr. Dosunmu emphasized the importance of commitment from beneficiaries, who receive free training and a N30,000 monthly transport stipend, to maximize the opportunity.
Hajiya Yinka Mohammed, wife of the Executive Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, highlighted that her office would leverage the IDEAS-TVE? programme to empower more women, particularly those in vulnerable groups. She noted previous interventions aimed at improving women’s welfare and described the programme as an additional opportunity for beneficiaries to gain skills and financial support for sustainable livelihoods.