Abstract

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Socio-economic pressures such as unemployment, inflation, and declining income opportunities continue to undermine livelihood security in many Nigerian communities. In this context, clothing and textile construction careers have emerged as a critical pathway for sustainable livelihoods through skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, cultural preservation, and inclusive economic participation. This study examined the contributions of clothing and textile construction careers to livelihood sustainability in Bade Local Government Area of Yobe State, Nigeria, with a focus on identifying key roles and strategies for optimisation amid prevailing socio-economic challenges. A descriptive survey design was adopted, targeting 1,200 practitioners comprising tailors, apprentices, fabric sellers, and textile workers, from which a sample of 330 respondents was selected using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed a high overall agreement that clothing and textile careers enhance sustainable livelihoods (grand mean = 3.08), with steady income provision, employment creation (85.2%), and women and youth empowerment (80.0%) emerging as the most significant contributions. Optimisation strategies such as the promotion of locally produced fabrics (mean = 3.22) and the establishment of vocational training centres (mean = 3.10) were perceived as highly effective, while industry partnerships recorded comparatively lower effectiveness. The study concludes that clothing and textile construction careers remain central to socio-economic resilience and livelihood sustainability in Bade Local Government Area. However, maximising their developmental impact requires targeted policy support, strengthened skills infrastructure, promotion of indigenous textiles, and improved linkages between small-scale practitioners and the wider textile industry. The study provides evidence-based insights relevant to policymakers, training institutions, and development practitioners seeking sustainable responses to livelihood challenges in similar contexts.

Keywords: Clothing and textile careers, Sustainable livelihoods, Socio-economic resilience, Vocational skills development, Local textile industry