By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo
Former Edo State Governor and ex–APC National Chairman, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has called for the urgent revival of Nigeria’s textile industry, describing it as a sleeping giant capable of generating over 20 million jobs and reviving the economy.
Speaking in Kaduna at the 37th Annual National Education Conference of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), jointly organized with the Nigerian Textile, Garment and Tailoring Employers’ Association (NTGTEA), Oshiomhole urged President Bola Tinubu to make textile production a national priority.
The occasion also featured the official renaming of the union’s national secretariat as the Adams Oshiomhole Textile Labour House in honour of the former labour leader.
Oshiomhole lamented the collapse of Nigeria’s once-vibrant textile sector, blaming it on reckless trade liberalization, smuggling, and poor policy enforcement, which turned the country into a dumping ground for foreign fabrics.
“The World Trade Organization agreements have de-industrialized Nigeria. We must produce locally to create jobs and build national pride,” he said. He urged the Federal Government to ensure that all uniforms for security agencies, schools, and hospitals are produced locally, saying the policy would boost local industries, conserve foreign exchange, and strengthen the naira.
Oshiomhole commended Tinubu’s “Nigeria First” policy but called for its strict enforcement across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). He also linked the collapse of industries to rising insecurity, arguing that unemployment fuels crime and instability.
“Every idle hand is a potential recruit for insecurity. Industrial revival will restore stability,” he noted.
He further emphasized the need for decent wages, saying that well-paid workers stimulate economic growth through spending and saving.
In their tributes, Dr. Hamman Kwajaffa, Director-General of NTGTEA, and Comrade Peters Godonu, President of NUTGTWN, hailed Oshiomhole as a visionary leader whose legacy still guides the sector.The event also featured the launch of an Education Endowment Fund and the commissioning of a Tailoring Hub to promote skills and youth empowerment.
In attendance were labour veterans, representatives of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), and IndustriALL Global Union, as well as top government officials and industry stakeholders.
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