Rise and Fall of Nigeria’s Textile Industry: From Pioneer Mills to Modern Revival

Nigeria’s textile sector once led Africa in industrial growth. Beginning in the 1950s, Kaduna Textiles Limited opened its doors in partnership with a British firm and produced millions of metres of cotton fabric its first year. The success of KTL spurred more mills in Kaduna and, later, Kano, turning both cities into manufacturing powerhouses. By the mid-1980s, the industry employed over 250,000 workers directly and supported millions more through cotton farming and trade. Textile factories accounted for about 20% of manufacturing jobs and supplied fabrics across West Africa. Major markets like Kantin Kwari in Kano became distribution hubs for locally made cloth. From the late 1980s, challenges such as unreliable power, rising costs, imported smuggled fabrics, and policy shifts led to a steep decline. By the 2000s, most large mills had shut down and employment fell below 20,000. Today, new local companies are reviving the sector with innovative fabric solutions, carrying forward Nigeria’s rich textile legacy.

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