EU, AFDEC Partner to Train Female Entrepreneurs in Garment Production

Nigerian female fashion entrepreneurs now have an opportunity to enhance their skills, improve their competitiveness and earn more through the skill-up programme in garment production.

The empowerment programme is being offered by the African Fashion Development and Empowerment Centre (AFDEC), a not for profit organisation supported by the European Union and German Development Cooperation, GIZ, through the Nigerian Competitiveness Project.

The training programme which kicked off in Lagos recently in commemoration of International Women Day, is expected to last for a period for two months.

According to the organisers, the training is free for eligible women-owned enterprises who have been involved in fashion and garment production for a minimum of two years and have a registered business incorporation status with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

Speaking about the training, the Founder and Executive Director, AFDEC, Mrs. Adeola Ogunkolade, said participants would learn how to enhance their businesses and improve their competitiveness within the fashion industry.

“They will also be taught how to manage and optimise the fashion product effectively, and also get acquitted with the fashion evolution and its direction.

“This is indeed the start of a true entrepreneurship for the Nigeria women-owned fashion/garment industry. This training also focuses on every aspect of the business from project production, commercialisation to distribution and retail and lot more to learn,” she added.

Ogunkolade noted that women empowerment is one way to get the underprivileged as well as the reasonably privileged women to come to realise their worth and full potential.

“And this is one of the reasons why we at AFDEC have saddled ourselves with the responsibility of empowering women and connecting them to fashion vocation and technical training, mentorship, funding, international opportunities, etc,” she added.

In accordance with the compliance of the Federal Government and NCDC, all the COVID 19 precautionary measures will be observed and put into play before the commencement of the training.

“During the week, the training will hold at the African Fashion Development and Empowerment Centre head office behind Ikeja Shopping Mall, Alausa, Lagos, while the weekend classes will take place at the Day Star Church at Oregun,” Ogunkolade explained.

AFDEC currently have a fast-growing community of over 3000 women-owned fashion MSME’s across 36 states of Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The community comprises brands ranging from apparel and textile designers, crafts and accessories manufacturers, fashion and hair stylists, fashion merchants among others. Its goal is to empower 10,000 more women enterprises by 2025.

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