Founder of CN Daniels Couture, popularly known as Jacket Kings, Nnamdi Daniels, has called on the Nigerian government to prioritize funding entrepreneurs over distributing money to the poor.
Speaking at the 10th-anniversary celebration of his brand in Abuja, Daniels emphasized the need for sustained dialogue between policymakers and creatives to address challenges in the fashion and creative industries.
Daniels highlighted the significant progress made in Nigeria’s fashion industry over the past decade, including increased global recognition of Nigerian designers.
However, he pointed out persistent issues such as unfavorable government policies, limited access to funding, and unreliable power supply as major hurdles stifling growth.
He criticized policymakers for their lack of understanding of the unique dynamics of the fashion and creative sectors, which has resulted in ineffective policies.
While commending the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Creative Economy, and Tourism for its recent efforts to create an inclusive intellectual property policy, Daniels noted that such initiatives should involve ongoing consultations with stakeholders rather than one-off events.
“What the ministry did is a step in the right direction, but this isn’t the first time we’ve heard of such plans,” Daniels remarked. “We need real conversations where stakeholders can identify actionable steps, not just events.”
On the subject of funding, Daniels urged the government to redirect resources toward small and medium-scale entrepreneurs instead of handing out money to the poor, which he argued only perpetuates poverty.
“When you fund an entrepreneur with a clear mandate, for instance, to create a hundred more jobs with N100 million within the next ten years, it has a greater impact,” he explained.
He also criticized financial institutions like the Bank of Industry (BOI) for imposing prohibitive requirements, such as bank guarantees, which prevent many creative industry practitioners from accessing funding.
Daniels shared his personal experience, stating, “I applied for BOI funding twice for equipment leasing, and they demanded a bank guarantee. If I already had the money sitting in a bank, why would I need their funding? Instead, they should conduct facility visits and review financial records rather than insist on unrealistic conditions like land documents and Certificates of Occupancy.”
Despite these challenges, CN Daniels Couture has continued to thrive, expanding its operations to Kampala, Uganda, and the United Kingdom.
The brand has also maintained a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility through its fashion training programs. These initiatives have trained over 70 individuals, including people with disabilities, in tailoring skills, with many deployed to the company’s offices in Uganda.
Reflecting on the brand’s journey, Daniels said, “We’re not where we used to be, but we’re also not yet where we want to be. We’ve achieved more than we expected, and there are exciting surprises ahead next year.”
