Nigerian Senate on Tuesday asked the federal government to restrict foreign importation of textile materials to the country to encourage local production of cotton.
Speaking during the Senate’s plenary session, Senator Barkiya Abdullahi Kabir said there was an urgent need to revamp the nation’s comatose textile industry.
Kabir’s motion was seconded by Senator Robert Ajayi Borrofice who opined that restricting foreign importation of foreign materials will be an opportunity for Nigeria to resuscitate its textile industry.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe also declared support for the motion “to encourage local manufacturing and to expand our employment opportunities.”
However, Senator Gabriel Suswam argued that government must provide a stable power supply for local manufacturers to thrive.
“First is to address the issue of power, with that the cost of production would have reduced drastically & manufacturers will be able to make profit,” Suswam said.
But Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe opined that the textile sector needs to be revamped holistically from the economic perspective.
Supporting Oloriegbe’s stance, Senator Abdullahi Adamu wants the “Senate leadership to meet with the Executive and submit the strongest possible memorandum on some of the things that we are suggesting here.”
“Let us eat what we produce; let us produce what we eat,” Adamu said.
Nigeria Senate president Ahmed Lawan said the Senate resolved to urge the Federal Government to encourage local Textile manufacturing companies by providing them with soft loans and easy access to credit facilities through the Bank of Industry and Bank of Agriculture
The Senate also appealed to the Federal Government to provide the necessary infrastructural facilities especially power supply to local Textile Manufacturing Companies.
The lawmakers asked the Nigerian Government to maintain the closure of the border for additional time to ensure support for local manufacturers.
