Head of Fashion Design and Clothing Technology Department, Kaduna Polytechnic, Dr Alabi Usman, has urged Nigerian parents to encourage their children to pursue careers in fashion.
Usman, who spoke on Monday, said every home needed a fashion designer due to its numerous benefits and opportunities.
*“Fashion is one of the most marketable careers today. Even from your home, you can design and sell products to customers abroad.
“Every family should encourage at least some of their children to become fashion designers,” he said.
He explained that fashion was not just about tailoring or making clothes, but a multi-faceted discipline that cuts across entrepreneurship, merchandising, media, modelling, make-up artistry, interior decoration and more.
According to him, fashion offers immediate economic benefits as students often sustain themselves financially while still in school.
“With just a sewing machine at home, you can begin to make money for yourself. Some of our students even support their families while studying,” he added.
Usman stated that the Polytechnic’s fashion department, which has been in existence for over two decades, currently runs National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes producing graduates who are making an impact across Nigeria.
He said enrolment into the department had significantly increased in recent years, with some of the highest-scoring candidates in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination now choosing to study fashion.
Usman also highlighted ongoing efforts by the department to promote decent and creative dressing through regular fashion shows and runway events.
He explained that the next runway show would hold in October, where final year HND II students would showcase their works, adding that alumni and external designers would also be given spaces to display their products.
“This creates a platform where creativity meets opportunity, and upcoming designers are linked with industry players and fashion enthusiasts,” he said.
Beyond career prospects, Usman advised parents to avoid forcing their children into courses such as medicine or engineering when their natural talents lie in art and creativity.
The HOD stressed that fashion remained one of the few careers with global reach, allowing designers to sell their products to international markets without leaving Nigeria.
“By nature, we are all fashion enthusiasts because we wear and live in fashion. This is why every home needs a fashion designer,” he said.
(NAN)