06/08/2026
The Rise and Fall of Nigeria’s Textile Mills: A History of Industrial Promise
For decades, Nigeria’s textile industry stood as one of the country’s strongest symbols of industrialisation. At its peak between the 1970s and the early 1980s, the industry employed hundreds of thousands of workers, sustained millions of cotton farmers and positioned Nigeria as one of Africa’s leading textile producers. Today, however, most of the once-thriving textile factories have either shut down or are operating far below capacity.
The Birth of Modern Textile Manufacturing
Long before the establishment of modern factories, Nigerians had mastered indigenous textile production. Communities in Kano, Katsina, Zaria, Abeokuta and Iseyin produced handwoven fabrics such as aso-oke, adire and akwete. These traditional industries laid the foundation for the country’s later industrial textile sector.
The history of Nigeria’s first modern textile mill dates back to 1955, when the government of the Northern Region, under the leadership of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Premier of Northern Nigeria, partnered with the British textile company David Whitehead & Sons to establish Kaduna Textiles Limited (KTL).
The factory was constructed in Kakuri Industrial Area, Kaduna South Local Government Area, Kaduna State, and officially commenced production on 22 November 1957. It became Nigeria’s first large-scale integrated textile mill, processing cotton grown across Northern Nigeria into finished fabrics for local consumption.
Within its first year of operation, Kaduna Textiles produced approximately eight million metres of cotton fabric, demonstrating the enormous commercial potential of local manufacturing.
Expansion Across Nigeria
The success of Kaduna Textiles encouraged both regional governments and private investors to establish more textile factories.
Among the earliest were:
* United Nigerian Textiles Limited (UNTL), established in 1964, located at Kakuri, Kaduna State. The company was developed through a partnership between the Northern Nigerian Regional Development Corporation and the Hong Kong-based Cha Group.
* Arewa Textiles Plc, established in 1965, also located in Kaduna, with technical support from Japanese textile manufacturers.
* Nortex Nigeria Limited, established in 1962 in Kaduna through investments led by Sudanese businessman E. A. Senoussi.
Outside Kaduna, textile factories sprang up across the federation, including Aswani Textile Mills in Kano, Afprint Nigeria Plc in Lagos, Asaba Textile Mills in Delta State, and Edo Textile Mills in Benin City, Edo State. By the late 1970s, Nigeria had become one of Africa’s largest textile-producing nations.
The Golden Era
The 1970s and early 1980s represented the industry’s golden age.
The textile sector became Nigeria’s largest manufacturing employer after government investment in industrialisation, abundant locally grown cotton and favourable import protection policies.
Industry records indicate that by 1984, the textile industry accounted for about 22 per cent of manufacturing employment and contributed roughly 15 per cent of manufacturing value added. At its peak, Nigeria had more than 140 textile mills, employing approximately 250,000 direct workers, while millions more depended on cotton farming, transportation, marketing and garment production.
Kaduna earned the nickname “Nigeria’s Manchester”, with thousands of workers reporting daily to factories in Kakuri, Tudun Wada and other industrial districts.
The Beginning of Decline
The fortunes of the industry began to change in the mid-1980s.
Following the collapse of global oil prices, Nigeria experienced severe economic challenges. In 1986, the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida introduced the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) under the guidance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
While SAP sought to liberalise the economy, it also exposed local manufacturers to intense foreign competition. Imported textiles—many of them smuggled through neighbouring countries—flooded Nigerian markets.
At the same time, manufacturers struggled with unstable electricity supply, rising production costs, obsolete machinery, high interest rates, deteriorating transport infrastructure and declining domestic cotton production. These factors combined to make locally produced fabrics increasingly uncompetitive.
Factory Closures
By the late 1990s, many textile companies were operating at minimal capacity.
Kaduna Textiles Limited, once the flagship of Nigeria’s textile revolution, struggled to remain open. By 2007, Kaduna Textiles, Arewa Textiles and United Nigerian Textiles had all ceased production after years of financial losses, unreliable electricity and mounting competition from cheaper imports. Thousands of workers lost their jobs, while cotton farmers also suffered from shrinking demand.
Government Efforts to Revive the Industry
Successive Nigerian governments have introduced policies aimed at reviving textile manufacturing.
One major intervention came through Executive Order 003, signed in 2017 by President Muhammadu Buhari, directing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to prioritise patronage of locally made goods, including textiles.
In 2019, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) launched the Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) Intervention Programme under Governor Godwin Emefiele.
The initiative sought to increase domestic cotton production, provide low-interest financing to textile manufacturers, rehabilitate factories, create employment across the cotton value chain and reduce dependence on imported textiles. The programme complemented earlier foreign exchange restrictions on textile imports and was designed to strengthen local manufacturing while conserving foreign exchange.
The Industry Today
Despite these interventions, Nigeria’s textile industry remains a shadow of its former self.
Only a handful of mills continue to operate, while many historic factory sites have become silent reminders of a once-vibrant manufacturing economy. Nevertheless, renewed government interest in industrialisation, increasing demand for Made-in-Nigeria products and growing investment in local fashion have revived discussions about restoring the country’s textile value chain.
Industry experts argue that sustainable recovery will depend on reliable electricity, improved security, access to affordable financing, stronger border controls against smuggling and consistent government policies that encourage local production over imports.
Conclusion
The story of Nigeria’s textile mills mirrors the country’s broader industrial journey—one marked by remarkable ambition, rapid growth and painful decline. From the establishment of Kaduna Textiles Limited in 1957 to the industry’s golden years in the 1970s and its subsequent collapse, the sector remains one of Nigeria’s most significant industrial legacies.
Whether Nigeria can reclaim its position as a leading textile producer will depend not only on government intervention but also on sustained investment, policy consistency and renewed confidence in local manufacturing.
References
1. Maiwada, S. & Renne, E. P. (2013). The Kaduna Textile Industry and the Decline of Textile Manufacturing in Northern Nigeria, 1955–2010. Textile History, Vol. 44, No. 2.
2. Central Bank of Nigeria. Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) Intervention Programme.
3. The Guardian (Nigeria). “Textile Industry: Still Comatose Despite Govt Interventions.” 17 April 2016.
4. Renne, E. P. (2019). United Nigerian Textiles Limited and Chinese–Nigerian Textile-Manufacturing Collaboration in Kaduna. Cambridge University Press.
Credit: www.oladaviva.com.ng
