The Senate has called for a total ban on the importation of textile products into Nigeria as part of efforts to revive the country’s struggling textile industry.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Sunday Katung (Kaduna South), with co-sponsorship from several lawmakers including Senators Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), Ibrahim Khalid (Kaduna North), Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Borno North) and Mustapha Khabeeb (Jigawa South-West).
Presenting the motion, Katung recalled that Nigeria’s textile industry was once a major employer of labour, noting that the first large textile mill was established in Kaduna in 1957 and that the sector flourished in the 1960s and 1970s.
He said Nigeria had about 167 textile mills by the late 1970s and 1980s, employing roughly 500,000 workers, adding that Kaduna was once known as the “Textile City.”
Contributing to the debate, Senator Jibrin Isah (Kogi East) urged the National Assembly to engage relevant ministries to ensure effective implementation of the resolution.
He said, “This motion is very important, but I don’t want it to die like other motions… we have to sit down with the ministry and tell them how this thing should go.”
Senator Ogoshi Onawo (Nasarawa South) said reviving the textile sector would help address unemployment and insecurity, linking youth joblessness to rising social challenges.
Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) supported a total ban on textile imports, arguing that weak protection and smuggling had destroyed local textile mills.
“If we really want to revive the sector, the only solution is a total ban,” he said.
Following a voice vote, the Senate urged the federal government, relevant ministries, and agencies to work toward reviving the textile industry and boosting cotton production.
The upper chamber also called for increased funding for the Bank of Industry (BOI) to support the sector’s revival.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin described the motion as crucial to Nigeria’s economic development, saying it directly impacts the nation’s overall wellbeing.
