Textile exports crash 55.3% to N16.55bn as imports hit N1.06trn

By Yinka Kolawole

Nigeria’s textile exports plunged sharply in 2025, dropping by 55.25 per cent to N16.55 billion from N36.98 billion recorded in 2024, even as the country’s importation of textile products surged significantly within the same period.

Data obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that while export earnings from textile products declined steeply, the value of imported textile items rose by 46.11 per cent to N1.061 trillion in 2025, compared with N726.176 billion in 2024.

The development highlights the widening gap between Nigeria’s textile imports and exports, underscoring the country’s growing dependence on foreign textile products amid persistent challenges facing the local industry.

A breakdown of the data shows that textile exports had recorded steady growth in the years preceding the decline. Export value rose from N10.268 billion in 2022 to N18.755 billion in 2023, before surging to N36.981 billion in 2024. However, the figure dropped drastically to N16.550 billion in 2025.

In contrast, textile imports have continued to climb consistently over the same period.

Import value stood at N365.463 billion in 2022 and increased marginally to N377.468 billion in 2023. The figure then jumped significantly to N726.176 billion in 2024 before rising further to N1.061 trillion in 2025.

The sharp rise in imports relative to exports reflects the structural weaknesses in Nigeria’s textile manufacturing sector, which has struggled for decades with high production costs, inadequate power supply, smuggling, and competition from cheaper imported fabrics.

Industry stakeholders have repeatedly warned that without strong policy support, investment in local manufacturing, and stricter control of textile imports, Nigeria’s once vibrant textile industry could face further decline.

Analysts say the latest figures reinforce concerns about the country’s trade imbalance in the textile segment, with imports now outweighing exports by a very wide margin.

The data also highlights the increasing demand for textile products in the domestic market, much of which is being met through imports rather than local production.

Commenting on the development, Director General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said reviving Nigeria’s textile industry requires a holistic approach, linking cotton farming to garment production and strengthening the entire value chain. 

He advocates for stronger local sourcing, improved policy enforcement to combat smuggling/counterfeiting, and increased investments in technology, warning that high production costs and poor infrastructure, counterfeiting and the influx of cheap imports are some of the factors stifling competitiveness in the textile industry.

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He asked the government to partner with financial institutions and industry players to drive the revival of and competitiveness in the country’s textile and leather sectors.

Ajayi-Kadir described the sectors as labour-intensive with huge potential for value addition, job creation, and exports – noting that  the industries also reflect Nigeria’s creativity and cultural heritage.

“Collaboration must be strategic, involving manufacturers, government, financial institutions, research bodies, and development partners,” he said.

The MAN DG stressed the need for coordinated efforts across the entire value chain, from cotton farming and spinning to garment making, and from hides processing to finished leather goods.

He also urged the government to enforce policies that protect local industries, promote fair competition, and strengthen industrial clusters. He appealed to the government to enforce policies that support local industries, ensure fair competition, and strengthen industrial clusters.