According to a report by Nigeria’s “Daily Letter” on January 9, in the 1970s, when Nigeria’s oil economy was booming, cotton was Nigeria’s important export crop. At that time, there were 176 textile companies in the country, including Kaduna, Kano and Kachina have a large cotton spinning industry.
However, due to factors such as the influx of imported textile raw materials, government neglect, lack of policies, and lack of improved varieties, Nigeria’s cotton industry is currently on the verge of extinction.
In 1980, the output value of Nigeria’s textile industry was US$8.9 billion, accounting for about 25% of GDP. Sadly, by 2012, it dropped to only US$300 million. According to data from the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics, the textile, clothing, and footwear industries contributed only 2.1% to Nigeria’s GDP in the first quarter of 2016.
The 2006/07 annual report of the International Cotton Advisory Committee shows that there are only 51 cotton ginning companies in Nigeria, but only 17 are fully operational, with a capacity utilization rate of only 33% and only 250,000 cotton farmers left. Data from the committee also show that Nigeria’s cotton output in 2016 was 51,000 tons, with a planting area of 253,000 hectares and an average yield of 202 kg/hectare.
The head of the Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association said that Nigeria imports about US$4 billion in textiles and raw materials from India, China, the United States, and Turkey every year, and there is a large amount of smuggled imports.
The lack of high-quality seeds has become a key factor restricting the development of Nigeria’s cotton industry. Middlemen mix water, sand and even stones in the cotton sales process, which also tarnishes the reputation of Nigerian cotton. Some European countries even ban the import of Nigerian cotton.
Experts call on the federal government to establish a National Cotton Council, increase investment in cotton in the budget, and provide technical guidance for cotton planting to reverse the decline of the cotton spinning industry. Nigeria’s cotton spinning industry is on the verge of extinction
