FasasiNEW DELHI: India has set up an apparel training centre in Nigeria to promote skill development in the textiles sector of the West African nation, an official statement here said on Friday.
“This is a first of its kind centre in Nigeria set up in partnership with the government of Nigeria,” the Indian Commerce Ministry statement said. The centre, established in the city of Kaduna under the Cotton Technical Assistance Programme for Africa being implemented by India’s Department of Commerce, was inaugurated on June 22, it said.
“The centre is aimed to support and catalyse the initiative of Nigeria in realising the objectives to rebuild the cotton and textile value chain and address the need for skilled workforce for domestic as well as export-oriented apparel industry in the west African region,” it added.
Africa’s biggest oil producer Nigeria is a major source of India’s crude imports. India-Nigeria bilateral trade was valued at over $12 billion in 2015-16.
There are over 100 Indian companies currently present in Nigeria mainly in the telecom, IT, hydrocarbons, textiles, electrical equipment, pharmaceuticals, plastics and auto sectors.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday laid emphasis on industry-to-industry ties between India and South Africa for greater economic gains.
“Industry-to-industry ties can bring rich economic gains, give new shape to our partnership and help us play a robust regional and global role,” Modi said in a joint press statement with South African President Jacob Zuma following delegation-level talks between the two sides in Pretoria, South Africa.
Modi said that in the last two decades, the relationship between the two countries has been a story of strong advances and concrete achievements.
“Two-way trade has grown by over 300 per cent in the last 10 years. Indian companies hold strong business interests in South Africa,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that one-fourth of India’s investments in Africa were in South Africa.
“And there is potential to expand our business and investment ties further, especially in the areas of mineral and mining, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, high technology manufacturing and information and communication technology,” he said.
In his remarks, President Zuma said that over 100 Indian companies were operating in South Africa and they were playing a “significant role” in the country’s economy and job creation.
“We are looking to diversify South Africa’s exports to India,” he said.__Zuma cited defence sectors, deep mining and renewable energy as areas of bilateral cooperation.
According to him, water management, pharmaceuticals and infrastructure development are areas that hold potential in the future. Modi arrived in South Africa from Mozambique on Thursday on the second leg of his four-nation tour of Africa.
Indo-Asian News Service
Fasasi
