The Textile, Garment and Tailoring Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has warned that the influx of cheap imported textiles and smuggled goods is weakening Nigeria’s manufacturing capacity and putting thousands of jobs at risk.

The association called on the Federal Government to strengthen measures against smuggling and unfair foreign competition while reducing production costs for local manufacturers.

It made the demands in a communiqué issued on Friday after its 2026 Industrial Relations Seminar, themed, “National Socio-Economic Influence and Its Impact on the Manufacturing Sector.” The communiqué was signed by the association’s chairman, Anthony Adabenege.

The association said the textile and garment industry had suffered years of decline due to cheap imports and smuggling. “Uncontrolled influx of cheap foreign imports and smuggling weakened local capacity and cost our nation thousands of direct and indirect jobs,” it said.

It urged the government to support domestic industrialisation, local content development, backward integration and cotton production reforms, while addressing high energy costs and other factors that make local production uncompetitive.

The association specifically called for a review of electricity tariffs for manufacturers and urged relevant government agencies to provide a reliable power supply at subsidised rates. It described affordable electricity as critical to reducing production costs and improving the competitiveness of Nigerian textile manufacturers.

On cotton production, the group called for improved BT cotton varieties and mechanised farming equipment to be made available to farmers at subsidised rates. It said increased domestic cotton production would strengthen the textile value chain and encourage investment.

The association also urged textile manufacturers to diversify their raw materials beyond conventional cotton to include synthetic materials, batik, polymers and fibres in response to changing market demands.

It further called on state governments and local investors to take advantage of current industrial reforms to revive textile manufacturing across the country.

The group also advocated increased funding for research and development in tertiary institutions through TETFund, urging authorities to ensure that research findings, including postgraduate projects, are commercialised and translated into practical industrial innovations.