THE Senate has called on the Federal Government to urgently ban the importation of foreign textile materials into Nigeria as part of efforts to stimulate local cotton production and revive the country’s moribund textile industries.
News Point Nigeria reports that the Lawmakers argued that restricting textile imports would help strengthen domestic manufacturing, support local farmers and restore the once-thriving textile sector, particularly in the Kaduna-Kano industrial corridor.
The Upper Chamber also urged the Federal Government, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade and Investment to take immediate steps to revive textile industries across the country.
According to the Senate, restoring the sector would generate employment opportunities for millions of unemployed Nigerians, especially youths, while helping to address youth restiveness and the attendant security challenges facing the country.
In addition, the Senate called for increased funding for the Bank of Industry (BOI), with a dedicated intervention fund specifically targeted at supporting textile industries and accelerating the sector’s recovery.
Lawmakers further stressed the need for the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, to encourage large-scale cotton farming, noting that the survival of the textile industry is directly linked to the availability of raw materials.
The Senate maintained that without adequate cotton production, efforts to revive the textile sector would be difficult to sustain.
The resolutions were adopted during plenary on Tuesday following consideration of a motion titled, “Urgent Need to Revive the Textile Industries in Nigeria with Particular Reference to the Kaduna-Kano Axis.”
The motion was sponsored by Sunday Marshall Katung and co-sponsored by several lawmakers drawn from different parts of the country.
Among the co-sponsors were Adams Oshiomhole, Tahir Monguno, Mustapha Khalid, Mustapha Khabeeb and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Other lawmakers who supported the motion included Kawu Abdurrahman Suleiman, Simon Lalong, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Babangida Hussaini and Mohammed Dandutse.
The Senate’s intervention reflects growing concern over the decline of Nigeria’s textile industry, which once served as a major employer and contributor to economic growth but has suffered decades of setbacks due to inadequate raw materials, limited financing, smuggling and competition from imported fabrics.
Lawmakers expressed optimism that a combination of import restrictions, increased support for cotton farmers and targeted financing for manufacturers could help restore the sector, create jobs and contribute to broader economic and security objectives.