In a significant move to revitalise Nigeria’s struggling textile industry, the House of Representatives has urged the federal government to introduce measures to regulate the importation of foreign textile materials. The call came during plenary following the adoption of a motion titled “Need to Revamp the Nation’s Comatose Textile Industry,” sponsored by Hon. Garba Ibrahim Muhammad.
The lawmakers emphasized the urgent need to support local textile production and reduce the country’s reliance on imported fabrics, which has stifled domestic manufacturing over the past two decades.
The House resolution also called on the Federal Ministry of Power to work closely with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to ensure uninterrupted power supply for local textile manufacturers. This collaboration is expected to improve production efficiency and product quality.
In addition, the Ministries of Finance and Industry were urged to provide soft loans and facilitate easier access to credit through the Bank of Industry to enable the revival and expansion of domestic textile mills.
Hon. Muhammad highlighted the historical significance of Nigeria’s textile sector, which once operated over 180 mills and employed nearly 450,000 workers during its peak in the 1960s and 1980s. He stressed that with Nigeria’s abundant natural resources, including cotton and wool, the country has the potential to reclaim its position as a textile manufacturing hub.
“Revitalising the textile industry will create jobs, reduce social vices, boost government revenue, diversify the economy, and contribute significantly to national development,” Muhammad stated. He lamented the adverse effects of past policies, including trade liberalisation and high taxation, which contributed to the collapse of key textile companies such as Kaduna Textile, Kano Textile, Aba Textile, United Nigeria Textile, and First Spinners.
To address the sector’s challenges, the House mandated its Committees on Industry and Commerce to organise a public hearing involving stakeholders from the textile industry. The outcome of this engagement is expected within four weeks, after which further legislative steps will be taken. The Committee on Legislative Compliance was also tasked with ensuring follow-through.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the Senate has expressed readiness to pass the 30 Percent Minimum Value-Addition Bill on Raw Materials, which seeks to mandate local processing of Nigerian raw materials before export. The bill is expected to be transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Sen. Aminu Abbas at the Africa Raw Materials Summit 2025 in Abuja, stated that the bill is designed to stimulate domestic enterprise, create jobs, and strengthen local value chains. “This legislation will ensure that no raw material leaves Nigeria without at least 30 percent value addition,” he said.
Akpabio urged African nations to adopt similar legislation, asserting that Africa must shift from being a supplier of raw inputs to a hub of industrial transformation and innovation.
The Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, Chief Geoffrey Nnaji, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the deployment of digital tools and industrial pathways to support intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He underscored that Africa’s future lies in transforming raw resources into finished goods that drive prosperity.
Minister of State for Industry, John Owen, further stressed that AfCFTA offers new opportunities for the continent to reduce raw material exports and increase the export of value-added products.
The developments signal a strong legislative and policy commitment to re-industrialise Nigeria and position Africa as a competitive player in global value chains.
