Nationwide Shutdown: 180 Textile Factories Stop Production

The Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Forum (CTGDF) warns that at least 180 textile mills that were performing in Nigeria have been completely terminated, and calls on the Federal Government to intervene to avert further losses of the country’s cotton, ginning, textile and garment resources.

CTGDF coordinator Anibe Achimugu revealed this in a statement made on the occasion of World Cotton Day, 7 th October 2026 which was declared by the UN General Assembly resolution 75/318, Daily Trust reports.

Cause of decline

“The CTGDF has attributed the total meltdown of the textile industry to the non-actualization of the Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Board (CTGDB), whose establishment was by the National Economic Council (NEC). As a result of the non-establishment, at least 180 textile mills have been terminated, national cotton production figures have dropped to 13,000 metric tonnes, and the import bill for textiles has increased to meet 90 percent of local demand,” said Achimugu.

He added that the problems were not limited to the impact on mill owners “but the figures also implicate farmers, who lose their market for cotton, industrial workers who lose employment opportunities, local manufacturers who are unable to add value to products, the nation’s economy, which loses foreign exchange, and the government, which loses significant tax revenues.”

Background on CTGDB

The National Economic Council in its 149 th meeting on 24 th April 2025, approved the establishment of the Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Board. The NEC designates the board-led model as President-led but private-sector owned with the Governor-elect of the six geopolitical zones and the FMD, Budget and Economic Planning, Industry, Trade & Investment, and Finance Ministers nominated to the council by President Bola Tinubu.

The proposed funding was expected to be achieved mainly through the Textile Import Levy collected by Nigeria Customs Service as initially proposed.

Inauguration delay

It was on 5 th March 2026 that the Secretary to the Federal Government inaugurated the steering committee charged with the responsibility of finalizing the organizational structure, mandate, governance, remit, resources, and implementation framework of the CTGDB. However, with the inauguration of the committee, CTGDB still remains largely inactive.

CTGDF and other stakeholders are calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and expedite the process of establishing the board to avert more losses in the textile industry.

(Source - Daily trust)