Six Nigerian Governors Pledge to Revive Domestic Textile Industry After Benin Study Tour

Six Nigerian state governors have committed to utilizing actionable insights gained from Benin Republic’s Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) to revitalize Nigeria’s textile sector and accelerate domestic manufacturing. The delegation joined Vice President Kashim Shettima on an inspection tour of the integrated industrial hub near Cotonou as part of the federal government’s initiative to establish Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) across the country.

The delegation comprising the governors of Kwara, Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa, Plateau, and Imo states focused on inspecting cotton, cashew, and soybean processing networks to understand how targeted state policy and reliable infrastructure can link agricultural output directly with industrial processing.

Key takeaways and commitments from state leadership include:

Kwara State: Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, speaking as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, emphasized that the tour serves as a vital blueprint to help Nigerian states avoid operational risks as they launch their own industrial hubs.

Zamfara State: Governor Dauda Lawal noted that observing GDIZ’s functioning cotton supply chain provided a clear roadmap for restoring Zamfara’s legacy textile mills and ginneries, which historically employed thousands of workers across multiple shifts.

Katsina & Jigawa States: Governors Dikko Radda and Umar Namadi highlighted plans to leverage their regional advantages in cotton, soybean, and broader agricultural yields to add local value, generate youth employment, and build strong links between farming and manufacturing.

Plateau & Imo States: Governors Caleb Mutfwang and Hope Uzodimma underscored that converting raw yields into high-value processed goods requires intentional political will and tailored state policies focused on each region’s specific comparative advantages.

The joint federal-state delegation reaffirmed that replicating fully managed processing zones is essential to shifting Nigeria away from exporting raw commodities and driving a sustainable, production-focused economy.