Indigenous industries in the face of growing competition in textile markets: a study of smock/fugu industry in tamale metropolis, Northern Ghana

There has been a decline in the textile industry of Ghana in recent years. This is attributed largely to the growing competition posed by imported products. This competition affects the entire industry with the traditional sub sector being no exception. With smock, and for that matter, the smock industry, which is a traditional textile based in the Northern Regions of Ghana gradually gaining recognition in the broader textile industry, this study examined its state in the market.The study aimed at assessing the industry to determine whether it can survive global competition within the broader textile industry. This paper aims to contribute to knowledge by making recommendations to inform policies towards the survival of traditional textile products in Ghana. The research employed the exploratory design. Stratified sampling, purposive sampling, accidental sampling and the snowballing technique were adopted. In all, the research covered a total of 272respondents comprising 120 smock merchants, 50 craftsmen/weavers of smock textile, 100 smock users and two (2) institutions in the smock industry. The paper found that, the industry is in good state despite the growing competition in the broader textile industry and key actors do not see the industry at risk. The industry has survived the growing competition by virtue of the cultural tag given to it and its responsiveness to changing demands by the users. The industry is faced with many challenges and problems like inadequate finances to operate, inadequate supply of materials to the merchants, poor marketing, lack of regulation and continuous lack of political will to develop the industry. It is recommended that, patronage of indigenous textile products should be encouraged and smock makers should exhibit their products during fairs to create more awareness, the smock industry should be well integrated into government policies aimed at promoting the textile and garment industry.