Firm boosts diversification drive with N1.8b

• Promises to create over 1000 jobs within the next few years
• Exports 800 cotton made fabrics yearly to generate foreign exchange

The Federal Government’s quest to diversify the economy is yielding positive results as Vlisco Wax Fabric Company Limited is investing about N1.8 billion in Fabric Garment Manufacturing Company in Nigeria.

The company, which majors in the fabrication of wax clothing materials is currently operating four retail outlets in Lagos and Abuja, with 51 Nigerian staff strength.

Established in Holland and Indonesia in 1846, the company has succeeded in creating a unique textile influence in the fashion landscape in West, Central Africa and across the globe. These fabrics reflect true Dutch craftsmanship and are still known as ‘’Hollandais’ from the French word for Dutch, as it is the only brand creating authentic Dutch wax fabrics recognised for its unique designs, colors and wax craquele.

Briefing Journalists in Abuja, as the company marked its 170 years of existence, the Chief Executive Officer and Junior Ahodegnon Cluster Director in West Africa, David Sudden, said the company is looking forward to expanding its frontiers across the country to enable it employ over 1000 Nigerians because of the huge market potential available in this part of the Continent.

He said; ‘’Presently, we are exporting over 800 yards of our products to other West African sub region to earn the needed foreign exchange to the country, we are prepared to develop our garment manufacturing industry here, we are presently working with Nigerian designers, we are also using the locally; made cotton in Nigeria, our products are popular in West Africa especially among women, and this has enabled us to print about 1/2 million fabrics yearly.

For us, we are looking at rebuilding a factory in the textile industry in Nigeria’’.He identified three factors that propelled the company’s success over these years, which so much all these years, include, design capability, wax printing process and dynamism in the business, stressing that the Nigerian women interest in the products are also enormous.

Contributing, the Country Manager, Adelaisi Adekunle, said that African women entrepreneurship is keeping the business growing, while calling on government and Nigerians to better patronise their products.