MAN: Import ban alone won’t revive textile industry

By Abubakar Yunusa

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria(MAN) has cautioned against relying solely on an import ban to revive the nation’s textile industry, insisting that broader policy support and stakeholder engagement are required to achieve meaningful results.

The Director-General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, stated this on Wednesday while reacting to the Senate’s resolution urging the Federal Government to prohibit the importation of textile materials.

Ajayi-Kadir, who spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, warned that policies introduced without adequate consultation with critical stakeholders often fail to achieve their intended objectives.

He urged the National Assembly to engage operators in the textile sector before pursuing such a policy, noting that the industry’s challenges go beyond import competition.

“I want to appeal to the National Assembly: let us not go down this route the same way again. The failure of policy in Nigeria has principally been due to a lack of stakeholder engagement. You cannot shave a man’s head in his absence,” he said.

The MAN boss maintained that Nigeria possesses the capacity to meet its textile demands but argued that local manufacturers require deliberate support to scale up production.

According to him, many textile firms are operating below 30 per cent of their installed capacity due to persistent challenges, including inadequate policy implementation and a difficult operating environment.

The Senate had on Tuesday called on the Federal Government to ban textile imports and revive textile manufacturing activities, particularly along the Kaduna-Kano industrial corridor, as part of efforts to create jobs and tackle youth unemployment and insecurity.

However, Ajayi-Kadir stressed that passing resolutions alone would not restore the industry.

He said government agencies must demonstrate commitment by enforcing policies that prioritise locally produced textiles across public institutions.

The MAN chief questioned whether government officials and lawmakers were prepared to lead by example through patronising Nigerian-made garments and products.

“If you legislate a ban on textile imports, it must go hand-in-hand with the diligent implementation of Executive Order 003 and a ‘Nigeria First’ mindset,” he said.

He added that effective border control and strict enforcement of existing trade regulations would be crucial to preventing smuggling and undermining any import restriction policy.

Ajayi-Kadir also called for the proper implementation of the 30 per cent Common External Tariff on imports from third countries, saying the measure would help protect local manufacturers from unfair competition.

He stressed that a comprehensive national conversation involving manufacturers, policymakers and other stakeholders was necessary before any textile import ban could succeed.

“A major conversation needs to take place for us to be serious about enforcing an import ban. It is not just by fiat,” he added.