The Minister of Industry in Nigeria, John Enoh has announced that the Federal Government is intensifying its efforts to revitalise the nation’s cotton, textile, and garment sector.
This initiative is part of a comprehensive industrial transformation agenda that aims to decrease reliance on imports, create employment opportunities, and enhance domestic production capabilities.
Speaking at the completion of phase one of the National Cotton, Textile and Garment Industrial Transformation Programme in Abuja, the minister said the initiative was driven by the enormous potential of the sector and the need to implement Nigeria’s newly launched industrial policy.
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“Well, I think that getting here in itself was informed by the enormous potential of this sector. We just launched the Nigerian industrial policy in February, and we want to go beyond the launching of that policy,” Enoh said.
He expressed concern over the decline in cotton production in Nigeria, noting that output had dropped significantly over the years.
“In 2001, the production of cotton in Nigeria was about 2,500,000 by 2000. Last year, it had gone down to about 10,000,” the minister stated.
Enoh however, said the pilot programme had demonstrated the possibility of rebuilding the entire value chain from cotton production to finished garments within a short period.
“The panel that we are showcasing today is a panel that in itself has indicated that within six, seven months, you can plant cotton, you can get a garment out of it.
“The fact that we now, from local cotton and the T-shirts that have been produced, both in terms of the quality, in terms of quantity, in terms of pricing, are better than foreign-made T-shirts,” he explained.
The Minister stated that Nigeria currently spends about six billion dollars annually on textile imports, stressing the need to revive the sector to conserve foreign exchange and generate employment opportunities.
He also disclosed that the Federal Government would unveil a new strategic policy framework for the sector between June and July 2026 to attract investors and guide industry operations.
Speaking, the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Ayo Sotinrin, pledged the bank’s support for the revival of Nigeria’s cotton, textile and garment industry through financing targeted at boosting cotton production and strengthening the value chain.
Sotinrin said the industry possesses enormous growth potential capable of attracting global investment and generating employment opportunities.
“I can make a pledge that the Bank of Agriculture is very much willing to support the primary production of, you know, the main feedstock, which is cotton,” he said.
He disclosed that Nigeria possesses the raw materials, manpower, and expertise required to restore the sector’s lost glory.
“We have the raw materials here. We can grow cotton. We also have the manpower. We have the expertise. And at some point, we were one of the largest producers of garments in Africa,” Sotinrin said.
Also, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Christopher Osaruwanmwen, said Nigeria’s cotton, textile and garment sector has the potential to generate more than 1.5 million jobs annually if properly revitalised.
Osaruwanmwen described the initiative as a strategic component of Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda focused on industrial revival, value addition, and employment generation.
