Despite Nigeria’s significant potential in cotton, textile, and garment (CTG) production, the country spends a staggering $4 billion annually on clothing imports, according to industry experts speaking at a recent stakeholder engagement in Abuja.
The forum, hosted by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, brought together key CTG players under the theme “Co-Creating Solutions to Grow CTG Industry in Nigeria.” The event aimed to finalize a strategic roadmap to revive Nigeria’s ailing textile sector and unlock its full economic potential.
Adenike Ogunhesi, President of the Garment and Accessories Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, emphasized the importance of prioritizing garment manufacturing as the starting point of the entire CTG value chain. “Garments do not just close the loop; they create the loop,” she said, calling for a paradigm shift that places garment production at the heart of Nigeria’s industrial revival.
Ogunhesi highlighted that, despite interventions over the years, the industry remains fragmented and underperforming. Drawing parallels with Bangladesh, which generates over $43 billion annually from ready-made garment exports, she urged stakeholders to seize the opportunity to capture a share of the global market.
“If Nigeria captures just 10% of Bangladesh’s export market, we could generate $3.3 billion in exports and create over one million direct jobs,” she stated. Ogunhesi also emphasized the broader socio-economic benefits such a shift could bring, including empowerment of women and youth, stimulation of MSMEs, and revitalization of upstream sectors like cotton farming and textile weaving.
John Enoh, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to promoting Made-in-Nigeria products. He announced a national campaign to encourage the use of locally produced garments in public institutions, inspired by Ogun State’s mandate requiring over 70,000 public servants to wear Nigerian-made clothes weekly.
However, Enoh acknowledged that promotion alone isn’t enough. He cited the need to resolve infrastructure and financing challenges and pointed to the newly formed Industrial Revolution Work Group, tasked with assessing and supporting the revival of dormant textile facilities across the country.
“We must ask ourselves: do we prioritize cotton, textile, or garments? Garmenting stimulates the entire chain,” he remarked, referencing success stories from countries like Bangladesh and Kenya that began by building garment export capabilities.
To demonstrate personal commitment, Enoh pledged to exclusively use Nigerian-assembled vehicles once the campaign is launched, underscoring the importance of leading by example.
Also speaking at the event, Bala Mohammed, Director of Industrial Development at the Ministry, reflected on Nigeria’s textile golden era, when over 180 mills employed half a million workers. Today, the sector is a shadow of its former self, with fewer than 25 firms operating, most at below 20% capacity.
“The sector works. It works for everyone, and it works for Nigeria,” Enoh concluded, calling for unified efforts, reduced fragmentation, and swift execution of strategic plans to restore Nigeria’s CTG industry to its former glory.
