I expressed last week in my submitted opinion that in the 70s and 80s in Nigeria, the nation’s textile industry was the largest employer after the government and the biggest contributor to manufacturing GDP. About 180 mills operating across the country directly employed over 700,000 to 1 million people. But over time, for various reasons, the terrain slid and slithered into a coma. And as a result, the nation is profusely haemorrhaging cash, some of which may have been deployed into funding our decrepit infrastructure.

One of the reasons for the headwind of challenging seasons for Nigeria’s industry was corruption. It is reported that, according to the Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association 2010 report, approximately 85 per cent of textiles sold in Nigerian markets, particularly printed fabrics, were smuggled into the country. The World Bank has also documented large-scale textile smuggling into Nigeria through Benin, estimating its value at approximately $2bn annually in the period examined. It is also estimated that the annual textile market is at $1.4bn, with about $325m lost through evasion of customs duties and VAT. It is also on record that nearly 90 per cent of Ankara print fabrics sold in Nigeria were imported, primarily from China and India. When great and good ideas die in Nigeria, corruption is often the reason. If the present administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu can confront this avarice and depravity, Nigeria will be in a better financial state in a short time.

Nigeria’s textile industry can produce far more than clothes, garments, Ankara fabrics and traditional attire. The industry is bigger and heavier than the garments Nigerians wear. In fact, some of the world’s most advanced textile industries generate substantial revenue from products that people do not wear. This branch of manufacturing is called technical textiles or industrial textiles. It is projected that Nigeria could potentially generate between $2bn and $5bn annually from technical textiles within15 years, provided the country makes substantial investments in technology, electricity, and infrastructure. Under a more ambitious industrialisation program, annual industry revenue could eventually exceed $7bn to $10bn.

Imagine the industrial possibilities and financial buoyancy if Nigerian factories could supply the fabrics used by Nigerian hospitals and schools, the upholstery used in locally assembled vehicles, the geotextiles needed for road construction and erosion control, the sacks used to package agricultural produce and the industrial fabrics required by oil, gas and manufacturing companies. Nigeria would be developing not merely a clothing industry but an interconnected manufacturing economy. When Nigerians discuss the collapse of our textile industry, we often think only about Ankara fabrics, lace materials, shirts, trousers and traditional garments. But Nigeria’s textile industry must not be viewed merely through the narrow lens of fabric and clothing production. It is connected to an even broader manufacturing economy, including footwear. From Kano’s leather workshops to Aba’s bustling shoemaking clusters, Nigeria has entrepreneurial skills it can turn into industrial wealth. Why should a country with millions of schoolchildren, workers, security personnel and fashion-conscious consumers remain heavily dependent on imported footwear when it possesses the potential to manufacture shoes at home? We should not merely grow cotton to clothe our bodies; we should develop the industries that put shoes on our feet, create jobs for our youths and put money into our economy.

Footwear manufacturing belongs to the broader textile, apparel, leather and footwear value chain, which makes it relevant to Nigeria’s industrial revival. Shoe manufacturing is another major industry Nigeria could develop alongside its textile sector. In fact, footwear is officially grouped with textiles and apparel in Nigeria’s GDP statistics. Shoes are particularly important because their production connects textiles with leather processing, rubber manufacturing, plastics, petrochemicals and industrial design. Aba, Abia State, is particularly famous for its leatherworks, shoemaking and footwear manufacturing. The Ariaria International Market and surrounding manufacturing clusters support thousands of artisans and small businesses. Kano also has a long history of leather processing, tanning and leather-product manufacturing. Nigeria could build on these existing capabilities rather than starting from scratch. Sports shoes and sneakers: made with textile mesh, synthetic leather, rubber and foam. Leather shoes: office shoes, formal footwear, loafers and school shoes. Industrial safety boots: used in construction, oil and gas, mining and manufacturing. Sandals and slippers: affordable everyday footwear for domestic and regional markets. Military and police boots. Footwear for the armed forces, police and security organisations. Nigeria should get into a state of readiness to modernise Aba’s shoe factories by providing modern equipment and technical training. To develop leather processing, we can improve tanning, finishing and quality control to supply domestic footwear manufacturers. Exports can be expanded by targeting West African markets and eventually larger international markets.

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The textile industry is far bigger than the clothes that cover our bodies. Textiles are found in our hospitals, automobiles, aircraft, roads, farms, factories, hotels and homes. They are used in industrial filtration, medical treatment, agricultural production, infrastructure development and national defence. Therefore, when a nation neglects its textile industry, it is not merely abandoning clothing production. It is potentially surrendering opportunities in several interconnected industries, sacrificing jobs, manufacturing capacity, technological advancement and export earnings. Nigeria must stop thinking of textiles merely as fashion.

Textiles are also technology, infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture and industrial wealth. The real opportunity is to transform Nigeria from a country that primarily consumes textile products into one that manufactures a wide range of materials for its domestic economy and export markets.

We commend President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its move to revive the dying industry. In March 2026, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment met with the Bank of Industry, NEXIM Bank and UNIDO to discuss integrated industrial parks. These would connect cotton production, textile mills and garment manufacturing. In July, the federal and Kaduna State governments unveiled a roadmap targeting dormant textile assets, including the Kakuri industrial area. The plan also discusses gas-based energy solutions and improved cotton supplies. These ideas must not just be campaign and political rhetoric. Announcing plans and setting up committees are not the same as industrial recovery. Our textile industry must not die.

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Source: Punch · Fola Ojo

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