The Nigerian House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to consider banning the importation of second-hand clothing as part of a package of measures to revive the domestic textile industry and ease youth unemployment; the resolution was unanimously adopted by voice vote during Tuesday's plenary session.

Key Points

  • The House asked the Federal Government to "urgently revive" the textile industry in Kaduna and other locations, and proposed considering a ban on second-hand clothing imports and mandating the procurement of Nigerian-made garments (including uniforms for schools, security agencies, and the NYSC).
  • The lawmaker who sponsored the motion, Billy Osawaru, said Nigeria had more than 160 textile factories in the 1970s to 1990s, with Kaduna as the core hub.
  • In 2025, Kenya has surpassed Nigeria to become Africa's largest importer of second-hand clothing.

The motion was moved by Billy Osawaru, the lawmaker representing the Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency of Edo State, under the heading of "urgent public importance," and was adopted without objection by roll-call vote at the plenary presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.

In his presentation, Osawaru linked the revival of the textile industry to employment and security. He stated that revitalizing the textile industry—especially textile capacity in Kaduna and other parts of the country—could create jobs for Nigerian youth and help ease insecurity and youth unrest.

He recalled that between the 1970s and 1990s, Nigeria had more than 160 textile factories, with Kaduna serving as the main hub at the time. He also cited the examples of Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia, saying that by targeted revitalization of selected key industries, these countries each created 2 million to 5 million jobs within five years and reduced youth unrest by 40% to 60%.

On security and economic data, Osawaru cited a report by SBM Intelligence stating that as of 2024, more than 10,000 people had been killed and 7,500 abducted in over 1,700 security incidents in Nigeria. He listed unemployment and the lack of economic opportunities as among the drivers of banditry, kidnapping, cultism, homicide, and youth unrest.

He also noted that agriculture, manufacturing, textiles, and solid minerals are sectors with significant youth employment potential but have long underperformed; due to inadequate storage and processing facilities, post-harvest losses exceed 40%, and insecurity has also reduced access to arable land. To this end, he proposed that the government establish modern storage facilities and agro-processing clusters in the six geopolitical zones within 12 to 24 months.

On financing, he called for setting up a "Manufacturing Revival Fund" in cooperation with the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to provide low-interest financing to small and medium-sized enterprises, and emphasized local procurement and youth employment targets.

After the resolution was adopted, the House asked the Federal Government to "urgently revive" the textile industry in Kaduna and other states in order to "create massive employment opportunities for the unemployed and address youth unrest"; it also asked the Federal Government to consider "banning the importation of second-hand clothes" and to mandate the promotion of Nigerian-made garments, including uniforms for schools, security agencies, and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

It is worth noting that in 2025, Kenya has surpassed Nigeria to become Africa's largest importer of second-hand clothing (mitumba). For Nigeria, once a ban on second-hand clothing imports takes effect, it will directly change the flow and regional distribution pattern of second-hand clothing in West Africa; whether domestic textile capacity can fill the supply gap in the short to medium term remains a core variable of industry concern.

Source: Reps ask FG to consider banning second-hand clothes imports to 'revive textile industry' · Originally published on 2026-09-29