Cap makers seek inclusion in economic empowerment programmes

Cap weavers of Gurduba village, Kiyawa local government area of Jigawa have called on the state and federal governments to include them in the country’s economic empowerment programmes.

A cross section of the women made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Gurduba Village, where they also urged both tiers of government to assist them with seed capital.

The weavers who reveal to NAN that they do their trade on credits, which are usually refunded after production and sales of their end products said the assistance from the government will go a long way in boosting cap production in the state and also encourage mass production and exportation.

In her words, one of the women, Hajara Hamza, said that “we used to collect the textile materials and the threads used in the production on credit from traders in Shuwarin market.. and the textile materials cost N140 each, while the threads cost between N300, N250, N150 and N80 per roll, depending on its quality and brand.

“So, we want governments to assist us with seed capital so that we can produce in large quantities, sell and make more profits than producing on credit all the time,” Hamza said.

Rukayya Sale, also cap weaver and a housewife said that she had been doing the business for 25 years now and she used the proceeds to take care of her children and their education.

Sale, however, said that she had not been able to expand the business because of lack of capital, and called for government assistance.

“The support will further improve the socio-economic lives of people, particularly the residents of the areas where the caps are produced,’’ Sale said.

Zakiyya Amadu, 14, said that governments’ intervention would enable them to learn modern techniques and skills to boost the trade.

In NAN’s report, some of the husbands of the women engaged in the business of cap weaving commended the efforts of their wives in complementing them in running the homes.

Malam Hamza Muhammad, who spoke to a reporter from NAN said that his wife Hajara, was able to raise N4,000, adding that he had to add N2,000 to buy sewing machine for her.

He, however, said that there was the need for the government to support the women in improving their business by including them in its economic empowerment programmes.

Caps are widely produced in Gurduba Village in Kiyawa local government area of the state, having a large number of female cap weavers.