Nigerian Senate Calls for Total Ban on Textile Imports

The Nigerian Senate has called for a total ban on the importation of textile materials into the country, urging immediate government action to revive the nation's moribund textile sector. The resolution, adopted on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, followed a motion sponsored by Senator Sunday Katung and cosponsored by several other lawmakers.

Senators argued that a ban is critical to resuscitating local manufacturing, creating jobs, and stimulating economic growth. They urged the Federal Government, along with the ministries of Industry, Trade and Investment, and Agriculture, to implement policies aimed at reviving textile industries nationwide. The Senate also called for additional funding for the Bank of Industry dedicated to the sector and for the government to encourage cotton cultivation to strengthen the domestic supply chain.

Leading the debate, Senator Katung presented a detailed history of the industry's decline. He noted that Nigeria's first large-scale textile mill was established in Kaduna in 1957, with protective government policies in subsequent decades helping the sector flourish. At its peak, the industry accommodated about 167 mills and directly employed more than 500,000...