The Embassy of the Kingdom of Lesotho in Ethiopia is encouraging Basotho students particularly those interested in textiles, apparel manufacturing, fashion technology, leather engineering, merchandising and industrial design to apply for admission and scholarship opportunities being offered by the Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX) at Bahir Dar University.
Speaking on the importance of the opportunity, Lesotho’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Ms. Nts’iuoa Sekete said that for many years, Lesotho has successfully attracted investment into the textile and apparel sector saying that the next phase of development must focus on localization of skills, management expertise, industrial technology and innovation.
“We need more Basotho engineers, designers, merchandisers, technologists and entrepreneurs who can lead the industry from the factory floor to the boardroom.” She alluded.
Ambassador Sekete emphasized that Lesotho’s future competitiveness will depend increasingly on home-grown expertise as the future of Lesotho’s textile and apparel industry will not be built by machines alone but will be built by skilled Basotho men and women who possess the knowledge, vision and determination to lead Africa’s next industrial transformation.
Meanwhile, about 15 Basotho in the textile and apparels industry are expected to showcase Lesotho’s capabilities at the All-Fashion Sourcing event scheduled for next Month in Cape Town.
Interested students are therefore encouraged to follow admission announcements and scholarship calls issued by EiTEX and Bahir Dar University and to engage the Embassy for further guidance regarding academic opportunities available in Ethiopia.
EiTEX is one of Africa’s leading specialised institutions in textile, garment, fashion and leather education. Established in 1963 and operating under Bahir Dar University, the institute offers a broad range of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programmes covering textile engineering, textile chemical processing, fashion engineering, apparel merchandising, leather product engineering, fashion design and related disciplines. The institute has also developed strong research centres focused on textile science, sustainable fashion, indigenous textiles and leather technologies.
The call aligns closely with the aspirations of the Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC) and the Government of Lesotho’s Letsema Strategy, which seeks to accelerate economic transformation through skills development, industrial growth, innovation, entrepreneurship and increased participation of Basotho in productive sectors.
Source: Lesotho News Agency [LENA]
