The National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) has urged the Federal Government to urgently revive the country’s collapsed textile industry, describing it as vital to industrialisation, job creation and economic diversification.
The union made the appeal at the First Abubakar D.O. Abutu Memorial Lecture, organised by the Commonwealth Society of Nigeria in Abuja. The event also honoured the late labour leader for his lifelong commitment to workers, organised labour and national development.
NUTGTWN President, Peters Godonu, said Alhaji Abutu’s legacy remains relevant to the struggle for workers’ dignity, social justice and national development.
Represented by the union’s Deputy President, Umar Mohammed, Godonu renewed the call for the revival of Kaduna Textile Limited (KTL), which he said holds a special place in Nigeria’s industrial history.
“Its revival would not simply be about reopening a factory. It would represent an important statement about Nigeria’s commitment to industrialisation, job creation, local production and economic diversification,” he said.
Godonu noted that textiles remain one of the world’s major labour-intensive manufacturing sectors. At its peak, he said, Nigeria’s textile industry created jobs, built technical skills and sustained communities in Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Katsina, Zamfara and other parts of the country.
He said the industry’s decline has had consequences far beyond factory closures, resulting in the loss of jobs, skills, industrial capacity and local supply chains, as well as opportunities for young Nigerians.
According to him, Nigeria still has the ingredients needed to rebuild a competitive textile and garment industry, including a large domestic market, cotton-growing potential, a substantial labour force, technical know-how, a vibrant fashion sector, a youthful population and access to the wider African market.
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