Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FAK Fashion Designer, Dr. Fatima Omotayo Aliu, has assured customers of quality jobs, improved services and reduced charges as the company reopens its fashion business centre in Ilorin, Kwara State, after months of closure.
Dr. Aliu gave the assurance at a media briefing held in Ilorin at the weekend to formally announce the reopening of the business centre and unveil new developments introduced by the company.
She said the reopening marked a new chapter for FAK Fashion Designer, with modern equipment, improved production methods and greater attention to customer satisfaction.
According to her, the company has imported a new set of sewing machines known as Direct Drive Machines, which she said would enhance the quality and speed of production while reducing electricity consumption.
Dr. Aliu explained that the business centre was closed in 2023 to enable the management to return to the drawing board, strategize and adopt more advanced methods of operation in response to developments in the fashion industry.
She noted that the fashion industry was evolving daily, particularly in the areas of equipment, technology, designs and clothing production methods.
The CEO added that customers were duly informed about the closure, while the business continued to operate in some capacities during the period.
She disclosed that members of staff were also trained in modern sewing techniques and other aspects of fashion production to equip them with the skills required to provide improved services.
Dr. Aliu said the major focus of the company following its reopening would be quality and improved service delivery.
She explained that the newly imported machines would produce quality work, consume less electricity and operate faster than some of the machines previously used by the company.
According to her, the management has also put measures in place to ensure the sustainability of the business and maintain the new standard of service delivery.
Dr. Aliu acknowledged the support received by the company from the Kwara State Government, particularly through the wife of the state governor, Professor (Amb.) Olufolake AbdulRazaq.
She recalled that FAK Fashion Designer was among 10 fashion businesses in Kwara State selected and sponsored in 2019 by the governor’s wife to represent the state at the Africa Fashion Show.
However, the CEO identified inadequate electricity supply and taxation as some of the major challenges confronting fashion businesses in the country.
She said most machines used in clothing production depended on electricity, adding that the high cost of power had increased the operational expenses of fashion businesses and, consequently, the charges paid by customers.
Dr. Aliu also raised concerns over what she described as excessive taxation, noting that multiple financial obligations to government often reflected in the prices of services rendered to customers.
She appealed to the government to review the taxation burden on fashion businesses and address the power challenges affecting operators in the sector.
The CEO also called on financial institutions to provide accessible loans and other forms of financial support to fashion businesses, saying such interventions would enable operators to acquire modern equipment and materials needed to provide quality services.
She disclosed that the company had concluded plans to take fashion training to schools across Kwara State.
According to her, proposals had been submitted to relevant authorities to enable the company train pupils and young people in fashion design and clothing production.
Dr. Aliu described fashion as a lucrative business that could be combined with other careers, including government employment, stressing that the shortage of government jobs made it necessary for young people to acquire entrepreneurial skills.
She said FAK Fashion Designer had partnered with politicians, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), government agencies and private individuals to provide fashion training for youths.
She added that some beneficiaries of the company’s previous training programmes were already doing well in the fashion business.
Dr. Aliu said the initiatives were part of the company’s efforts to promote local fashion and empower young people in Kwara State and Nigeria.
Looking ahead, she said FAK Fashion Designer had an ambitious five-year plan to become one of the leading fashion companies in the world.
She urged existing and prospective customers to continue patronising the company, assuring them that its return was not merely a reopening but a renewed commitment to quality, affordability, modern designs and improved customer service.
