Nigeria imported textiles and textile articles worth N565.96 billion in the first half of 2025, according to fresh data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The figure marks a 56.6 per cent jump from N361.39 billion in the same period of 2024, raising fears over the survival of the domestic textile industry.
In the second quarter alone, imports soared to N337.12 billion, an 84.3 per cent increase from N182.95 billion in Q2 2024. The surge continues a rising trend, with the country spending N726.18 billion on textile imports in 2024—nearly double the N377.47 billion recorded in 2023.
Despite government promises under the Cotton-Textile-Garment (CTG) revival programme, stakeholders say unchecked imports are crippling local manufacturers and eroding jobs. In April, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment unveiled plans to localise up to $4 billion in textile spending and launched a campaign promoting made-in-Nigeria garments across ministries and agencies. Officials also began site visits to Kaduna, once the heart of Nigeria’s textile industry.
However, industry leaders insist progress is slow. The Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir, lamented the sector’s decline. “The textile industry has had its downturn, and there has not been much progress in the core functions that deliver value for investment,” he told The PUNCH.
Ajayi-Kadir blamed the flood of cheap, often dumped imports for destroying competitiveness. He noted that Kaduna once hosted six textile factories under MAN’s coverage, but now has none. Cotton farmers, he added, increasingly prefer exports over supplying weak local mills.
While cautioning against outright import bans—which he said could fuel smuggling—Ajayi-Kadir advocated tariff differentials and quota systems to protect domestic players.
Some fashion entrepreneurs see opportunity in the crisis. Bukola Ajani, President of the Association of Women in Fashion Tech, said the naira’s devaluation has made foreign sourcing less attractive.
“Before, people went to China or Turkey for production. Now the cost of importing is too high. It’s better to produce locally.
“Nigerians are looking inward, and foreigners are also exploring the cheap labour here,” she said.
Once a major employer, the textile industry has been battered by policy inconsistency, smuggling, and poor infrastructure.
Although officials insist revival is a priority, the swelling import bill suggests otherwise.
Experts warn that without urgent reforms, Nigeria risks losing an industry with massive job-creation potential.
“Textile manufacturing has the capacity to employ millions if properly supported,” Ajayi-Kadir stressed.
“But if imports continue at this pace, the industry will remain on life support.”
With over half a trillion naira spent on textile imports in just six months, analysts say the government faces a stark choice: sustain an import-heavy dependency or build a competitive domestic textile industry capable of meeting Nigeria’s vast demand.
