Nigeria’s textile import bill has surged dramatically in the first nine months of 2025, hitting ₦814.27 billion, a striking 47 % increase compared to the same period in 2024, even as the government repeatedly assured industry stakeholders that interventions would boost local textile production and cut import dependence.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria imported textiles worth ₦228.83 billion in the first quarter of this year, ₦337.12 billion in the second quarter, and ₦248.32 billion in the third quarter, bringing the nine-month total to ₦814.27 billion. That figure dwarfs the ₦552.31 billion recorded over the same period in 2024, underscoring the growing reliance on foreign textile products.
Economically, this trend adds pressure to Nigeria’s trade balance and domestic manufacturing base, draining foreign exchange reserves and siphoning demand away from local producers, a cycle critics warn could undermine broader industrialisation goals.
Stakeholders in the textile sector argue that this surge in imports reflects deep structural problems in the local industry. Many manufacturers point to policy failures, weak execution of credit programs, corruption, and poor access to affordable finance as key obstacles to reviving domestic production.
The Director-General of the Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association, Hamma Kwajaffa, has been particularly vocal. He stresses that the government’s repeated assurances about revitalising the textile industry have largely remained rhetorical.
Kwajaffa has repeatedly highlighted the mismanagement of funds from a 10 % textile levy that was intended to be reinvested into the industry. “When the ban on textile imports was lifted, they knew the Nigerian with their penchant for foreign goods… But that money, once it comes in, the government feels it is their own, and they don’t want to give it back to the private sector to work on.”
He further contends that the levy was meant to create a textile development fund held at the Bank of Industry (BOI) to support manufacturers, but this has never materialised. “Nothing has been ploughed back into the textile industry from the levy since its inception.”
Beyond financial missteps, Kwajaffa laments policy incoherence among government officials. He notes that conflicting statements from top leaders, including Vice-President Kashim Shettima and the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Sen. John Enoh, have contributed to stagnation in meaningful reforms.
Government authorities have made various commitments in recent years. In August 2024, the Vice-President called on stakeholders to outline a roadmap for revitalising cotton and textile production. The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment also set goals to localise up to $4 billion in textile spending, and efforts were made to promote locally made garments across federal departments and through financing collaborations with the BOI.
However, despite workshops, site tours, and public commitments, local industry players argue that these initiatives have barely moved beyond the planning stage, and the influx of imported fabrics continues unabated.
Critics also point to broader obstacles that weaken Nigeria’s textile sector: insecurity in cotton-growing regions, poor support for smallholder farmers, and limited access to affordable inputs like polyester despite Nigeria’s status as a crude-oil producer.
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) highlights the competitive pressure from imported finished textiles, which are often “virtually dumped” in domestic markets, making it nearly impossible for local producers to compete amid high energy costs and weak infrastructure.
Industry observers also warn that unless genuine structural reforms are implemented, including transparent use of levies, improved access to credit, strengthened cotton value chains, and supportive industrial policies, Nigeria may continue to see soaring import bills at the expense of local manufacturing jobs and economic diversification.
