By Elizabeth Osayande

Nigeria’s textile industry, once a thriving hub of economic activity, has suffered a slow and painful collapse. Once home to over 175 vibrant textile mills employing more than one million workers, the sector today barely clings to life, with fewer than 20 companies still in operation. Despite decades of revival initiatives and billions in intervention funds, the industry’s contribution to national GDP and employment has plummeted—suffocated by import dependency, outdated infrastructure, and policy inconsistencies.

Among those offering fresh hope is Bolaji T. Josephine, a respected textile scientist whose groundbreaking work in performance textiles, adaptive garment systems, and sustainable engineering could hold the key to reviving the industry.

A Legacy of Decline

Over a span of just a few decades, the number of registered textile companies in Nigeria dropped by more than 60%. Today, Nigeria imports the vast majority of its textile products, resulting in a staggering trade deficit and near-total reliance on foreign goods. Even as population growth expands domestic demand, local producers remain crippled by erratic power supply, smuggling of counterfeit fabrics, and high operational costs driven by tight monetary policy.

Government-backed funds intended to stimulate the sector have made a minimal impact. Industry experts note that despite several federal interventions, the absence of performance standards, enforcement mechanisms, and a long-term strategy continues to undermine growth.

“Reviving this industry requires more than capital,” says Bolaji. “It demands a systemic shift that places scientific innovation, material performance, and local content development at the centre of policy and production.”

Science at the Forefront

With years of experience in textile testing, sustainability, and product development, Bolaji merges scientific research with innovation in ways that few in the field can replicate. Her technical background spans garment engineering, material property analysis, and adaptive design for underrepresented body types.

In a major collaboration with SimplyBest Underpinnings—a Canadian startup focused on inclusive shapewear—Bolaji led the design and experimental testing of foundational garments for medically complex and atypical body shapes. Her contributions included the development of a patented fitting system, textile characterisation for comfort and durability, and the creation of standard operating procedures now used in community-based fittings.

“These aren’t just clothes,” she explains. “They are engineered systems designed for performance, safety, and identity. That is what Nigeria must aspire to—not just production for production’s sake, but textiles that solve problems, compete globally, and reflect our culture.”

Empowering Industry and Policymakers
Bolaji advocates for a transformation rooted in knowledge, not nostalgia. “The reason revival efforts keep failing is that we’re trying to resuscitate a 1990s model in a much more advanced global economy,” she says. “We must shift toward evidence-driven manufacturing, regional textile clusters with testing facilities, and performance-based garment production.”

She proposes several bold reforms:

Establish a National Textile Research and Innovation Council to connect academia with industry and drive R&D in smart textiles, sustainable dyeing, and adaptive garment design.

Enforce Executive Order 003, which mandates MDAs to patronise local textiles, with accountability, quality assurance, and third-party verification.

Implement industrial clusters with integrated testing labs, power solutions, and eco-friendly waste management infrastructure.

Offer startup grants and fellowships for young textile scientists and women innovators to foster technical excellence and entrepreneurship.

Launch certification systems to protect indigenous heritage products like Adire from mass-market imitations and counterfeiting.

“We must build a future where Nigeria competes not by price, but by performance, sustainability, and cultural authenticity,” she asserts.

A National Imperative

Bolaji emphasises that this transformation must be holistic and inclusive. “We can’t isolate policy from research or industry from education. Everyone—ministries, investors, universities, and unions—must co-create the roadmap.”

She cautions against surface-level solutions. “Subsidies won’t save an industry that lacks performance standards. If we want to export, if we want to compete, we must first meet global expectations on durability, sustainability, and comfort. That takes science.”

She urges the federal government to go beyond capital disbursements and instead invest in technical labs, regulatory enforcement, and market access strategies.

Building for the Next Generation

At the heart of Bolaji’s vision is a call to reclaim Nigeria’s leadership in African textile production—one thread at a time.

“Our country has the talent, the culture, and the domestic market,” she says. “What we need is an ecosystem that values R&D, rewards innovation, and makes room for inclusive manufacturing.”

She believes Nigeria can become a global hub for high-performance textiles—from climate-adaptive uniforms to medically inclusive undergarments—if the country aligns its policies, partnerships, and infrastructure around science and innovation.

A Call to Action

Bolaji’s message is clear: Nigeria’s textile future cannot be built on nostalgia or imitation. It must be rooted in research, responsive to global markets, and resilient against structural shocks.

“We cannot compete with mass imports from Asia by mimicking their models,” she concludes. “We must build our own—grounded in local ingenuity, modern science, and a vision for sustainability. This is not just about textiles—it’s about reclaiming economic dignity, creating jobs, and stitching Nigeria back into the fabric of global manufacturing.”

As the nation searches for pathways out of economic hardship, this call for a science-driven, innovation-led revival may offer the blueprint Nigeria so desperately needs.