Nigeria textile imports hit N814bn in nine months, signalling weak local production despite government revival efforts

Nigeria’s textile imports rose to N814.27bn in the first nine months of 2025, highlighting a fragile domestic industry and continued dependence on foreign fabrics, despite repeated government claims of sector revival.

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Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed imports of textile and textile articles amounted to N228.83bn in the first quarter, N337.12bn in the second, and N248.32bn in the third quarter.

The total represented a 47.43 per cent increase compared with N552.31bn recorded in the same period of 2024.

Industry operators attributed the rising import bill to poor implementation of government interventions, policy inconsistencies, limited access to affordable finance through the Bank of Industry, and structural challenges, including weak cotton farming, insecurity, and difficulties scaling local polyester production.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association, Hamma Kwajaffa, said government policies on textile revival remained largely rhetorical.

He criticised the failure to reinvest a 10 per cent textile import levy into the sector and called for a dedicated textile development fund at the Bank of Industry.

Kwajaffa said, “Nothing has been ploughed back into the textile industry from the levy since its inception. Corruption, policy incoherence, and weak execution are killing the sector.”

He added that conflicting positions among top officials, including Vice President Kashim Shettima and the Minister of State for Industry, Sen. John Enoh, had stalled progress.

The Federal Government has repeatedly announced plans to revive the sector.

In August 2024, Vice-President Shettima urged stakeholders to produce a roadmap for revitalising cotton and textiles, while the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment announced a plan to localise up to $4bn in textile import spending.

Although officials and the Bank of Industry toured textile facilities in Kaduna State, stakeholders said the promised reforms have yet to yield tangible results.

Segun Ajayi-Kadir, Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, warned that the heavy influx of imported textiles undermines domestic production.

“These products are virtually dumped to overrun the domestic market. Local firms cannot compete due to a harsh operating environment,” he said.

Kwajaffa further highlighted systemic issues, noting that insecurity and weak agricultural support had undermined the cotton value chain, while local manufacturers struggled to access cheap polyester despite Nigeria being an oil producer.

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The surge in imports underscores the urgent need for coherent policy implementation, transparent deployment of textile levies, and structural support to revitalise the local textile industry.