The Senate has called on the Federal Government to ban the importation of foreign textile materials as part of efforts to revive Nigeria’s textile industry and boost local cotton production.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Sunday Katung (APC, Kaduna South), who highlighted the urgent need to restore textile manufacturing, particularly along the Kaduna-Kano industrial corridor.

Leading the debate, Katung recalled that Nigeria’s textile industry was once a major contributor to economic growth and employment, with about 167 textile mills employing over 500,000 workers at its peak in the 1970s and 1980s.

He, however, lamented the sector’s decline over the years due to obsolete equipment, inadequate financing, poor power supply and inconsistent government policies.

Following the motion’s adoption, the Senate urged the Ministries of Agriculture and Trade and Investment to implement measures aimed at revitalising textile manufacturing and creating employment opportunities for Nigerian youths.

The upper chamber also called for increased funding for the Bank of Industry (BoI) to support struggling textile firms and urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to intensify efforts to promote cotton farming, which lawmakers described as critical to the survival of the textile sector.