Nigeria is rebranding cotton farming.

The aim is to make cotton farming attractive to the younger population.Nigeria is revamping the cotton value chain.The golden age of cotton and textile was truncated after Nigeria discovered oil, which led to the closure of the popular Kaduna textile and other textile factories across the country.

Subsequently due to interventions in the cotton and textile value chain production increased from 80,000 metric tons to 133,000 metric tons. The number of factories in operation rose from seven to 23. The value of Nigeria’s cotton lint exports reached $64 million as of November 2022. An executive order mandating the military to patronise local textiles in producing their uniforms has also been a contributing factor to the growth of the cotton and textile sector. Some 24 states currently produce cotton in Nigeria. The country has developed two varieties of transgenic cotton. These are aimed at addressing the issues of low yields, high production costs and insect attacks on cotton farms.

However the revamp of the cotton, textile and garment sector significantly hinges on reducing smuggling at the country’s borders. Finished cotton products are being smuggled into the country. So the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) has urged for more aggressive control at the country’s borders by setting up an anti-smuggling task force.