Nigeria’s Textile Industry: Tinubu’s Government Can Revive a Fading Giant
Nigeria’s once-flourishing textile industry, a sector that once rivalled the government in job creation, has fallen into near ruin. But the government has vowed to turn its fortunes around.
On a visit to Sunflag Nigeria Limited in Lagos, Senator John Enoh, Minister of State for Industry, lamented the industry’s precipitous decline and assured stakeholders that policies were in the pipeline to create a more equitable playing field for local manufacturers.
“Several years ago, the textile industry competed almost fairly with the government in terms of the employment of our Nigerian people,” Enoh remarked. “The government of President Bola Tinubu has an eight-point agenda, and almost every aspect of it is concerned with job creation. Agenda Seven is about diversifying our economy through industry and manufacturing.”
The industry has been crippled by an unchecked influx of second-hand clothing and illegal textile imports, a phenomenon Enoh condemned in stark terms. “Three hundred containers come into this country daily, unaccounted for. They pay no duties, whereas you do, and that’s the level playing field you’re talking about.”
Acknowledging the frustrations of manufacturers, the minister pledged immediate action. Within two weeks, the Ministry of Industry will convene a high-level session on Cotton, Textiles, and Garments to engage stakeholders on viable solutions. “We need to see what needs to be done to get this sector right,” Enoh asserted.
He reiterated the Tinubu administration’s commitment to revitalising the sector. “If there is a government that will change this situation, it is the government of President Tinubu. We are determined to make a positive change and see this industry flourish again.”
The numbers paint a bleak picture. Alok Bhardwaj, Managing Director of Sunflag Nigeria Limited, provided a sobering account of the industry’s collapse.
“From 1985 to 1990, the Nigerian textile industry employed 250,000 people across more than 250 companies. Today, only about 10,000 workers remain, and 3,500 of them are employed by Sunflag Nigeria alone,” Bhardwaj said.
He urged the government to implement protective policies, drawing parallels with the United States. “Just like President Trump protected American workers and industries, why can’t we do the same? Nigeria imports $6bn worth of textiles annually, employing 750,000 Chinese and Indian workers while only 10,000 Nigerians work in the sector,” he argued.
The influx of second-hand clothing has further devastated local production, with Bhardwaj warning that 1.5 million Nigerian tailors are affected. “If even 10 per cent of these imports are reduced, it would have a dramatic effect on employment,” he said.
Beyond trade imbalances, manufacturers face the crippling challenge of energy costs. Bhardwaj highlighted the failure of previous agreements on gas pricing, stating that Sunflag Nigeria has been forced to generate 40 megawatts of electricity independently.
“We need government support to remain competitive,” he added, underscoring the urgent need for policy reforms.
The question remains: will these promises translate into action, or will Nigeria’s textile industry remain a shadow of its former self?
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