Textile Workers Warn of Job Threats from Cheap Imports

The Textile, Garment and Tailoring Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has raised concerns regarding the influx of cheap foreign textile products, which they claim is undermining local manufacturing and threatening jobs in the sector. In a communiqué issued on Friday after their 2026 Industrial Relations Seminar, the association, led by chairman Anthony Adabenege, highlighted that the textile and garment industry has faced significant decline due to these imports and smuggling.

They reported that imports from China constituted 41.02% of Nigeria's total imports in the second quarter of 2026, amounting to N5.92 trillion. The association urged the Federal Government to implement stronger measures to protect local manufacturers, including providing improved BT cotton and mechanized farming equipment at subsidized rates.

They also called for a review of electricity tariffs, stating that high energy costs are detrimental to the industry's competitiveness. The association believes that government initiatives for domestic industrialization could revitalize the textile sector.