According to a news report from Businessday, the Kwara State garment factory, established by the state government to create job opportunities and boost internally generated revenue, has successfully trained no fewer than 262 women and youths.

Olubukola Adedeji, Managing Director of the textile firm, shared this information in an interview with journalists following a facility tour conducted for a team from the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors Forum in Ilorin.

Adedeji emphasised that the garment factory prioritises safety and skills development through its training programmes, which are integral to the production process. She assured that the factory would continue to equip individuals with the necessary knowledge to meet global standards.

She said, “So far, we have trained 262 people. They were trained in batches to master the operation of cutting-edge machinery some of which are exclusive to the factory in the country.

“When they undergone the training, they can create their own businesses without having necessarily depending on government.

“The equipments we have here are the first of its kind in West Africa and because of my exposure to global standard, we intend to meet up with global standard, surpass it and we hope to sustain it forever. Our goal is not only to be largest but also, the most proficient and professional in the industry.”

Damilola Yusuf-Adelodun, Commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology, noted that the garment factory designed for textile production, targeted more than 1000 women and youths to be trained with the hope of boosting Nigerian garment factory to allow different companies across the World to see Kwara as garment destination.

“We have full function facilities and we are training youth and women in garment making. This company is expected to boost IGR for the state and we hope to increase revenue base by 2025 when the company will be in full operation.

“We have sustainable management practice , we are creating hierarchy of successful employees and they are free to continue with their own businesses after training”, she noted.

In his reaction, after the visit to some projects executed by the State Government, Folorusho Aluko, the Director General of the All Progressives Congress Governors’ Forum, who led the team to Kwara State, lauded Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s commitments towards making the Kwara better.

Aluko declared that if they hadn’t come to Kwara to see for themselves, they wouldn’t have believed such developments has occurred in Kwara State.

“I came here with mind set, getting here – it is wow. We have seen the signature of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State. His projects from social support programme – to infrastructure, to business, Innovative and technology, – to civil service welfare, gender equiequiand to sport.

“In the whole, no one will have believed that Kwara State has been able to achieve this in the last five years. We have seen beyond what we imagine was happening in Kwara. We are convinced that in Kwara, there is good governance, there is innovative leadership, and there is transformative leadership”, Aluko said.