Dreams of attrition: reveal the textile industry of Nigeria

In a quiet road in Kaduna, once the lively center of the Nigeria textile empire, silence is deafening. The rhythmic Claotter of frames that fed the local economy for decades for some time.

Where thousands of workers once crowded the doors of textile factories, only rusty machines and faded insignia remain. For many families, the collapse of the textile industry is not just an economic crisis: it is the loss of identity, pride and sustenance.

Lamentations

“I spent 20 years of my life on those machines,” recalls Bala Ahmed, a former United operator Nigerian Textted Limited. “Now I guide a Keke just to feed my family. It seems that the government has forgotten about us.”

In the 70s and 80s, the Nigeria textile industry was second only to agriculture as the main employer of the country. At its peak, over 180 mills operated nationally, providing jobs to over 600,000 workers. The cotton farmers from the whole North thrived while the mills acquired their crops in bulk.

Today, less than 20 mills remain active and the sector workforce has reduced to less than 20,000. For merchants and farmers, it was a painful descent from pride to despair.

“This was our pride,” says Mrs. Grace Olowu, a Lagos textile trader. “When the customers asked Ankara, I provided Made in Nigeria. Now, almost everything on my shelves comes from China.”

One of the main reasons is the high cost of energy. The unreliable power supply and exorbitant electricity rates have paralyzed productivity. While Asian manufacturers pay up to five cents per kilowattora, Nigerian factories are charged over 20 cents. Many simply cannot survive in such conditions.

The imports of smuggling and economic also devastated the industry. The markets of Lagos, Kano and Onitsha are flooded with foreign fabrics, some even counterfeiting of indigenous nigeria and ankara prints.

“Go to the Balogun market today,” complains of Segun Ajayi of the National Union of Textile, suitable clothing and workers of Nigeria (Nutgratwn). “Nine out of 10 fabrics are imported. Some are false imitations of our projects. How do we survive this?”

Challenges

Political inconsistencies deepened the decline. Subsequent governments promised a awakening, introducing programs such as Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) Fund and Executive Order 003, which requires government agencies to buy local fabrics. However, weak application and corruption have made these measures ineffective.

Access to finance remains another obstacle. With interest rates between 15-25%, few textile companies can obtain loans at affordable prices. Banks label the “high -risk” sector, blocking entrepreneurs eager to innovate and expand.

In the meantime, years of abandonment have emptied skills from the sector. Many expert engineers, operators of machines and textile technologists have abandoned the sector or have completely left Nigeria. Without new investments in training, the sector struggles to keep up with global tendencies.

Behind the statistics there is human suffering. In Zaria, Malam Haruna, a cotton farmer, he complains that “Guardo the cotton, but who will buy it? First, the trucks of the mills have come directly in our farms. Now I sell to pieces to the intermediaries at ridiculous prices or to the crops in my shop”.

Countries like China, Bangladesh and Ethiopia offer useful lessons. By subsidizing the energy, supporting cotton breeders and creating export incentives, they built textile industries with billions of dollars. Nigeria, with its fertile land and the youth population, has a similar potential but lacks constant commitment.

“Nigeria has everything it needs: earth, cotton, qualified people,” says John Adigun, an analyst in the sector. “What is missing is a coherent policy and a real application.”

Output

The relaunch of the textile sector will require decisive steps: stable power supply, more rigorous control of borders, loans accessible to low interest, professional training and patronage of the government of local fabrics for uniforms in schools, hospitals and safety agencies.

The Nigeria textile industry can be bangs, but it is not beyond repair. The African continental free trade agreement (AFCFTA) presents new export opportunities. With the right strategy, local fabrics can find markets throughout Africa and beyond.

As his partner Ali Baba, secretary general of Nutgratwn says: “The textile awakening does not only concern the factories, but it is about saving jobs, restoring dignity to our workers and protecting our culture. If the government is unable to act now, Nigeria risks becoming a landfill for rejected fabrics of the world. “

If Nigeria can put together the political will, industrial policy and the innovation of the private sector, the frames can buzz again and the country can wear their pride on their fabric. Until then, silence in Kaduna’s abandoned factories remains a disturbing reminder of what could have been and what can still be.