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Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima will on Thursday lead a delegation of state governors and senior federal officials on a working visit to the Republic of Benin to explore new investment pathways for reviving Nigeria’s textile industry.

The visit, according to a State House press release issued by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), will focus on the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) near Cotonou, a major agro-industrial hub designed to drive value addition and export-oriented production.

Shettima and his team are expected to engage with officials of the Beninese government, investors, and private sector operators managing the industrial zone, with discussions centred on strengthening Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme and adapting successful models from Benin.

A key highlight of the visit will be the GDIZ textile park, which operates an integrated system covering cotton production, spinning, weaving, fabric processing, and garment manufacturing. The facility, spanning about 1,640 hectares, represents a full value chain approach that Nigerian authorities are seeking to replicate.

The Presidency said the trip comes at a critical time as Nigeria intensifies efforts to rebuild its once-thriving textile sector, which has suffered years of decline due to factory closures, limited local processing capacity, and competition from imported goods.

Despite these challenges, the sector remains economically significant. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that Nigeria’s textile, apparel, and footwear industry was valued at about ₦8.15 trillion in 2024, with an additional ₦2.45 trillion recorded in output in the first quarter of 2025.

Officials said the visit would provide an opportunity to examine how Nigeria can strengthen linkages across the textile value chain, connecting cotton farmers, ginneries, textile manufacturers, and fashion businesses to both domestic and export markets.

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Nigeria’s large consumer market for garments, uniforms, footwear, and home textiles presents significant potential for growth, with the government aiming to reduce import dependence, conserve foreign exchange, and create jobs across multiple sectors.

The delegation is also expected to explore areas such as technology transfer, industrial training, access to modern machinery, reliable energy supply, and improved public-private partnerships—factors considered essential for boosting the competitiveness of Nigerian textiles.

In addition, discussions will assess how lessons from GDIZ can support the development of Nigeria’s agro-industrial zones, including plans for garment training centres and infrastructure to process agricultural raw materials closer to farming communities.

The African Development Bank is already supporting aspects of Nigeria’s SAPZ programme, including a proposed garment training facility in Ogun State, which is expected to enhance skills development and productivity in the sector.

The visit aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on industrialisation, economic diversification, agricultural transformation, and expansion of non-oil exports.

Governors accompanying the Vice President include Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Dikko Umar Radda (Katsina), and Umar Namadi (Jigawa).

The Presidency said insights from the visit are expected to inform policy decisions and accelerate efforts to reposition Nigeria’s textile industry as a key driver of economic growth and employment.