The Textile, Garment and Tailoring Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has warned that the influx of cheap imported fabrics and smuggling is shutting down local factories and threatening thousands of jobs.
The union made the call on Friday in a communiqué issued at the end of its 2026 Industrial Relations Seminar in Lagos. Chairman of the association, Anthony Adabenege, signed the document.
“Uncontrolled influx of cheap foreign imports and smuggling weakened local capacity and cost our nation thousands of direct and indirect jobs,” the communiqué stated.
The association said high energy costs are also crippling manufacturers. It urged government agencies in power, oil and gas to provide 24-hour electricity to factories at a subsidised rate.
“It is expedient that for our textile industries to have a comparative competitive advantage… there is a need for all government agencies in the Power, Oil and Gas sector to provide 24 hours steady supply of electricity at a cheaper rate per kilowatt,” it added.
The union further asked the Federal Government to make improved BT cotton and mechanised farming equipment available to farmers at subsidised prices.
It also urged textile firms to diversify from pure cotton to blends, citing changing market trends.
