The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to reviving Nigeria’s Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) industry as part of efforts to drive industrial growth, create jobs and reduce dependence on imports.
Minister of State for Industry, Sen. John Enoh, said this at the National CTG Value Chain Activation Pilot Milestone Event, in Abuja on Thursday.
Enoh said the initiative was designed to rebuild an integrated cotton-to-garment production system capable of supporting Nigeria’s industrialisation agenda.
He said the country possessed the capacity to produce competitive garments locally without compromising quality or standards.
According to him, with more than 200 million people, imagine what it means if Nigeria can physically clothe itself. That alone is a huge market and it is achievable.
The minister said that the pilot phase of the CTG initiative showed that high-quality cotton could be grown locally, processed and transformed into finished garments competitively.
”The initiative has proven that Nigeria can produce garments at better quality, better pricing and in larger quantities than imported alternatives,” he said.
The minister added that government was shifting from policy discussions to practical implementation, describing the initiative as ”proof of concept” for local industrial revival.
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”What you have seen today is not a concept note or policy proposal. It is proof that these things are possible and are already happening,” he said.
He further said that the pilot project identified major structural gaps within the value chain, particularly poor coordination among cotton farmers, textile manufacturers and garment producers.
According to him, previous interventions failed because they focused on isolated segments rather than building a functional, integrated production chain.
”The problem is not entirely funding or infrastructure. The real issue is that the value chain was never designed to function as one coordinated system.”
Enoh revealed that the government would scale up the programme by strengthening market linkages, improving financing structures and supporting smallholder cotton farmers.
He also revealed that the Bank of Agriculture had expressed readiness to begin financing cotton production, especially for smallholder farmers across the country.
Earlier, Dr Chris Isokpunwu, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, described the event as a strategic step toward reviving Nigeria’s textile industry and advancing economic transformation.
Isokpunwu said the CTG initiative would support economic diversification, reduce dependence on imports and create more than 1.4 million jobs annually across the value chain.
He said the programme would strengthen linkages between agriculture, manufacturing and export markets, while positioning Nigeria to benefit from opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He commended development partners and stakeholders supporting the initiative, including the Bank of Industry (BOA), African Finance Corporation, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and Wema Bank.
The permanent secretary urged stakeholders to move beyond discussions to practical actions that would support sustainable industrial growth and competitiveness.
Similarly, the Managing Director of BOA, Mr Ayo Sotinrin, said the bank was committed to collaborating with relevant stakeholders to support the realisation of the initiative.
In the same vein, Mrs Olymuyiwa Ajayi-Ade, Director, Industrial Development Department at the ministry, said the event demonstrated stakeholders shared commitment to move beyond policy conversations to coordinated implementation and measurable industrial outcomes.
According to her, industrial transformation cannot succeed in oscillation, but requires strong public-private collaboration, policy consistency, institutional coordination and sustained stakeholder commitment.
(NAN)
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