Kwara state government,in its efforts to deepensl employment opportunities, has awarded N1.8 billion contract for the establishment of garment production factory in Ilorin, the state capital.
To kick-start the realisation of the project, the State Executive Council has approved the award of contract, according to the Commissioner of Commissioner for Enterprise Hajia Arinola Lawal,who disclosed this to the cabinet members during their meeting presided over by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Wednesday.
She said the factory will be known as Garment Production Village in Ilorin, aimed at providing job opportunities for thousands of Kwarans, particularly youths and women.
Presenting the memo at the council meeting and explaining the bidding process for such high-end project, in line with the procurement law, the Commissioner put the cost of the garment factory at N1.8bn awarded to Freshvine Nigeria Ltd out of the three firms that bidded for it.
The commissioner also explained that various sustainable plans were in place for the factory to succeed.
Approving the memo, the council observed that the factory would be the largest in West Africa.
The council noted with delight that when operational, the factory has all the potential to put Kwara on the world map and change the status of the state from a civil service state to a state with impressive industrial presence.
The Governor explained that the project was primed to attract backward integration worth over N2 billion of Central bank of Nigeria(CBN) investment in large scale cotton production in Kwara North and parts of the south.
“These upcoming investments come on the heels of the agro-processing zone proposed for the northern senatorial district and fixing of the road connecting the phenomenal Owu Fall in Kwara South and the campuses of the Kwara State University in the two regions,”the governor added.
On the issue of security, the council emphasised the imperative for all residents of the state to support security agencies and government’s efforts toward sustaining the reputation of Kwara as a state of harmony.
