Edo explores opportunities in fashion industry, opens booth for designers

By Isaac Olamikan

Edo State Government, through the state’s skills development agency, Edojobs has launched a fashion and style corner to aggregate designers and other lovers of fashion in the state.

The fashion booth was set up by the state government, in collaboration with GIZ’s Skills Development for Youth Employment (SKYE) programme, to create job opportunities for the state’s teeming youth population and tap into the huge opportunities in the fashion and design sector.

A director in Edojobs, Mr. Omole Niyi, who performed the inauguration at the Edo Innovation Hub, said the booth was a platform to gather, train and empower youths interested in garment production.

According to him, “This is aimed at creating more employment opportunities in Edo State, in line with Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration’s efforts to leverage opportunities in different sectors of the state’s economy including Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the creative industry, among others.

“This is just one of such initiatives. We have a garment production factory where youths who are interested in fashion can come in and learn.

“They will be trained and allowed to use our machines to produce for their customers and make money for themselves.”

The director further noted, “GIZ is ready to partner with us on training our youths on modern ways of sewing, as well as to benefit from the fashion industry generally. Those who are already into fashion can also come to utilize our modern equipment.”

He urged interested candidates to log on to Edojobs online platform and register for the training, adding, “We have partners in different established fashion organizations and hubs in the state, who will train these fashion enthusiasts for a minimum of six months. We expect that after six months, the trainees should be able to make garments and earn money for themselves.”