The Senate has urged the Federal Government to take immediate steps to revive Nigeria’s textile industry, with special focus on Kaduna and Kano states. Lawmakers said the sector once powered jobs and economic growth, but now lies in ruins despite its strategic importance.
The call came through a motion sponsored by Senators Abdurrahman Kawu Suleiman of Kano South, Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau South, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto South, Babangida Uba Hussaini of Jigawa North-West, and Muntari Mohammed Dandutse of Katsina South. They traced the rise and fall of the nation’s textile industry.
Nigeria’s textile journey began in 1957 when the first large-scale mill opened in Kaduna. That success spread quickly to the Eastern and Western Regions, sparking nationwide growth and turning textiles into a key industrial driver. 
The industry hit its peak in the 1960s and 1970s thanks to strong government backing. A ban on textile imports at the time encouraged local investment. By the late 1970s and 1980s, Nigeria had about 167 mills employing roughly 500,000 people directly, making it the country’s second-largest employer after government.
Kaduna became known as “Textile City” during this boom. The state hosted major integrated mills and served as headquarters for the Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association. At its height, Kaduna alone had 11 companies running at full capacity, including Arewa Textiles Plc, Fantext Nigeria Ltd, Nortex Nigeria Ltd, Super Text Ltd, and United Nigeria Textiles Ltd. They created thousands of jobs and businesses.
The decline began in the 1990s. By 1997, major firms like Kaduna Textile Limited, Arewa Textiles, and UNTL were barely operating due to outdated equipment, no capital for spare parts, and unstable power supply. By 2007, all three had closed completely, wiping out over 7,000 jobs and leaving once-busy factories idle.
Today, the sector is a shadow of its former self. Sixty-five years after its boom, textiles rank among Nigeria’s weakest industries. There are no major new investments, and Nigeria now imports over 99% of the textiles it consumes. In the 1980s, the industry was Africa’s third-largest, earning about $2 billion yearly and producing over 14 billion pieces of fabrics like African prints, shirting, bed sheets, towels, and wax prints.
Despite revival efforts under the Industrial Revolution Plan, lawmakers said smuggled and imported textiles remain the biggest threat. Since the import ban was lifted in 2010, nearly 80% of textiles in Nigeria come from China, Indonesia, and Taiwan. The Senate therefore resolved that the Ministries of Agriculture and Trade and Investment must act fast to restart mills in Kaduna, Kano, and nationwide, arguing that revival will create jobs, reduce youth restiveness, and help curb insecurity.
