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For Immediate Release
Date Posted: 1 August 2019
Washington, DC — The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) has announced that Nigeria is joining the organisation, becoming its 29th Member and 11th Member in Africa.
Government officials in Nigeria have been working to reinvigorate their cotton and textile industries for years because converting cotton into textiles and finished goods generates much more revenue than exporting raw fibre, leading to higher incomes and new job creation.
But before Nigeria can revive its textile industry, which once accounted for as much as 25% of the jobs in the country’s manufacturing sector, it must first enhance its cotton industry — and that’s where ICAC membership comes in.
In addition to its publications and data, ICAC is currently working on two major initiatives that would hold great promise in Nigeria:
- An interactive, voice-based Soil and Plant Health app that allows farmers to diagnose and treat pests and diseases right in their fields, even if they are illiterate, and
- A Virtual Reality training program that will allow scientists and researchers to ‘visit’ a cotton field and view best practices, seeing the plant in various stages of development in a short period of time, all without leaving the classroom.
‘We are thrilled to welcome Nigeria into the ICAC community’, said Kai Hughes, ICAC Executive Director. ‘Nigeria is a key producer in West Africa and its membership underlines not only the importance of cotton to its economy but also the importance of the ICAC and its role in fostering a healthy and sustainable cotton economy for its Members. The ICAC is working hard to increase yields in Member states and for Africa in particular; there should be no reason why yields in most if not all cotton producing countries cannot be doubled’.
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About the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)
Formed in 1939, the ICAC is an association of cotton producing, consuming and trading countries. It acts as a catalyst for change by helping member countries maintain a healthy world cotton economy; provides transparency to the world cotton market by serving as a clearinghouse for technical information on cotton production; and serves as a forum for discussing cotton issues of international significance. The ICAC does not have a role in setting market prices or in intervening in market mechanisms. For more information, please visit www.icac.org. |
