The Nigerian Senate has called for a total ban on the importation of textile products as part of renewed efforts to revive the country’s struggling textile industry and boost job creation.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Sunday Katung and co-sponsored by several lawmakers, including Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Adams Oshiomhole, Mohammed Monguno, Ibrahim Khalid, and Mustapha Khabeeb.
Leading the debate, Senator Katung expressed concern over the collapse of Nigeria’s once-thriving textile sector, noting that it was formerly one of the country’s largest employers of labour.
He recalled that Nigeria’s first major textile mill was established in Kaduna in 1957, with supportive government policies in the 1960s and 1970s driving significant industry growth. According to him, the country operated about 167 textile mills in the late 1970s and 1980s, employing nearly 500,000 workers at its peak.
Lawmakers during the debate attributed the decline of the sector to weak policy enforcement, smuggling, and the influx of cheaper imported textiles, particularly from Asia.
Senator Jibrin Isah urged stronger collaboration between the National Assembly and relevant ministries to ensure implementation of the Senate’s resolutions, warning against allowing the motion to “die like others.”
Senator Ogoshi Onawo, on his part, said revitalising the textile industry would help reduce unemployment and insecurity, stressing the need to engage Nigeria’s youth and agricultural sector through industrial revival.
Supporting the motion, Senator Adamu Aliero argued that a complete ban on textile imports was necessary to protect local manufacturers and revive cotton production in Nigeria.
He noted that Nigeria was once a leading global cotton producer but lost its dominance due to lack of protection and widespread smuggling.
“If we truly want to revive the sector, the only solution is a total ban,” Aliero stated.
Following a voice vote, the Senate urged the Federal Government, along with the Ministries of Agriculture and Industry, Trade and Investment, to take immediate steps toward revitalising the textile sector.
The chamber also called for increased funding for the Bank of Industry to support textile manufacturers and for policies that would encourage cotton farming across the country.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin described the resolution as crucial to Nigeria’s economic development, noting that the textile sector remains vital to national growth.
Nigeria’s textile industry, once a major contributor to the economy, has experienced decades of decline due to poor infrastructure, high production costs, smuggling, and competition from imported fabrics, leading to factory closures and massive job losses.
