In a bold move aimed at resurrecting Nigeria’s moribund manufacturing sector, the Senate on Tuesday formally urged the federal government to place a comprehensive ban on the importation of all foreign textile materials into the country.
​Lawmakers argued that the drastic measure is now crucial to breathe life back into the nation’s once-vibrant textile industry, which formerly stood as a cornerstone of the Nigerian economy and a major employer of labor.
​The resolution followed a robust debate on the floor of the upper legislative chamber, where senators lamented the near-total collapse of local textile mills over the last few decades.
​The motion, which garnered widespread support across party lines, highlighted how unchecked smuggling and a heavy reliance on cheap foreign fabrics have pushed local manufacturers out of business, leaving hundreds of thousands of Nigerians unemployed.
​”We cannot continue to export jobs to other countries while our own youth roam the streets without employment,” one senator remarked during the debate. “Shutting our borders to foreign textiles is the shock therapy this economy needs to force us to look inward.”
​To ensure the proposed ban does not trigger immediate scarcity or inflation, the Senate outlined several critical recommendations for the executive arm of government
These recommendations include Incentivising Local Producers by providing tax holidays, accessible low-interest loans, and uninterrupted power supply to surviving textile mills.
By enforcing Stricter Border Control and mandating the Nigeria Customs Service to tighten border security and aggressively combat the smuggling of contraband fabrics.
Enforcing strict compliance with directives requiring military, paramilitary, and educational institutions to source their uniforms exclusively from local manufacturers.
​In the 1970s and 1980s, Nigeria’s textile industry was the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa, boasting over 180 mills and employing more than 500,000 workers. Today, fewer than a handful of those factories remain operational, crippled by high production costs, erratic power supply, and a flood of cheaper alternatives from Asia.
​While economic analysts agree that the sector has massive potential, some warn that a flat ban must be accompanied by immediate infrastructural upgrades. Without stable electricity and raw materials like locally sourced cotton, domestic mills may struggle to meet the sudden surge in demand.
​The Senate’s resolution has been forwarded to the Executive for consideration. If adopted, it could signal one of the most aggressive protectionist economic policies seen in the country in recent years.
