As Nigeria battles rising youth unemployment and mounting economic pressure, a fashion entrepreneur, Abdusalam Lukman, popularly known as Embroidery Chief, has made a bold case for embroidery and digital garment design to be adopted as a core pillar of the country’s youth employment strategy.
Speaking in Abuja at the launch of a large-scale embroidery warehouse, Lukman argued that Nigeria can no longer rely solely on conventional academic pathways to job creation, insisting that practical, technology-driven skills offer faster and more sustainable solutions.
The new facility is projected to empower over 1,000 youths with modern embroidery and digital design expertise, positioning them for immediate employment or entrepreneurship.
Lukman described embroidery as an untapped labour-intensive industry with strong links to Nigeria’s booming fashion and creative sector.
According to him, formal government recognition and integration of embroidery into youth empowerment programmes could unlock thousands of jobs nationwide while easing pressure on the overstretched labour market.
He said: “Nigeria must start creating jobs locally and intentionally,” adding that: “Embroidery is not just sewing; it is technology, design, and production combined. It attracts young people, creates value quickly, and does not require years of university education to be productive.”
He called on the government to support structured training, certification and easier access to funding for industrial embroidery equipment.
Lukman explained that trainees at the warehouse are exposed to the full production chain — from operating and maintaining advanced industrial machines to digitising complex designs — enabling them to become job creators rather than job seekers.
Beyond employment, Lukman highlighted the macroeconomic implications of strengthening local embroidery production. He noted that many embroidered garments and fashion accessories are currently imported, draining foreign exchange that could be conserved through local manufacturing.
“If we produce locally what we currently import, we reduce pressure on foreign exchange and strengthen the economy at the same time,” he said.
The initiative’s training model blends free skills acquisition for machine owners with a monthly intake of selected applicants through an online process, while a growing digital community of over 500 members connects trained designers and machine operators with fashion businesses across the country.
The event also drew support from industry stakeholders and public figures, including Alhaji Aminu Yahaya and popular entertainer Real Warri Pikin, who urged lawmakers and government agencies to back local embroidery machinery distribution, maintenance and production. They stressed the need for backward integration to reduce dependence on imports and position Nigeria as a regional production hub.
Speakers at the launch agreed that with the right policy support, embroidery could evolve from a niche craft into a structured industrial subsector capable of driving employment, boosting GDP contributions and expanding Nigeria’s influence in the West African fashion market.
As debates continue over how best to tackle youth unemployment, Lukman’s proposal adds momentum to growing calls for government to shift focus toward practical, skills-based industries that combine technology, creativity and local production.
