Imports choke textile industry, rise to N1.1trn in two years

***MAN cautions against blanket restrictions
***Textile manufacturers demand stronger protection
By Yinka Kolawole
Nigeria’s dependence on imported textile materials has almost tripled with importation surging by 181 per cent in two years to N1.08 trillion in 2025 from N377.47 billion in 2023, despite repeated efforts to revive the oncethriving local textile industry.
Latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, also indicates further rise in import bills in 2026 as first quarter (Q1’26) figure already shows faster upswing to N267.7 billion, about 153.2 percent higher than the N70.48 billion recorded in the corresponding period of last year. Breakdown of data from the...