Textile Business in Nigeria
Textile Business in Nigeria | Nigeria is as a nation in African continent that has been widely acclaimed to have the largest economy in the continent and has been one of the leading African textile manufacturers in the continent.
In the middle 80s and late 90s, the Nigerian textile industry has been reputed to employ over three hundred and fifty thousand employees.
And the number of textile firms that were in operation then was about one hundred and eighty.
However, today, there is a departure in the textile production in Nigeria, as only ten out of these textile mills are in operation.
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Textile Business in Nigeria
Nevertheless, the reason to this decline in textile production is not farfetched.
This is as a result of introduction of import of low-priced materials from developed nations of the world, like India and China.
The insufficient power supply in the country has contributed to the collapse of the textile industry in Nigeria.
The cost of textile production has also increased.
Even as the industry suffers from inadequate funding, so these have been some of the challenges facing textile industry in Nigeria.
Textile Business in Nigeria
Can Nigeria have the audacity to overhaul and give a face-lift to its textile industry?
In spite of these challenges.
Nigeria still remained one African country .
That is lavishly endowed with resources that can re position Nigeria as one of the fast growing economies in Africa.
All what Nigerians need is to look within.
However, with the advent of the fourth industrial revolution.
Nigeria can tie together its natural resources.
Including various raw materials, and take advantage of the fourth industrial revolution.
Which is technology for profitable adventure.
Textile Business in Nigeria
And these fourth industrial revolution technologies include:
3D printing, and the internet.
Artificial intelligence.
Machine learning among others.
If Nigeria will only take its time to explore on these technologies.
Then Nigeria can as well be able to harness its numerous natural resources to make improvement.
And produce goods that could only be produced in Nigeria, rather than exporting its raw materials to the outside world.
Textile Business in Nigeria
And later import the refined products of these raw materials at the expense of its economy.
I think it is time Nigeria explore these technologies to its advantage.
For example, 3D printing is worthwhile in the country’s textile industry.
Because of its potential to allow Nigerians to operate mini textile mill.
You may want to know what 3D printing is, and I am going to tell you.
What is 3D printing?
This printing technology is a process by which, physical thing or object is printed sheet by sheet, and layer by layer with the aid of digital drawing.
It is a new technology in the textile industry.
Where it can interrupt the current traditional method of printing by way of assisting textile firms to easily develop products that are complex without using specified machinery for the job.
Textile Business in Nigeria
It makes textile production easy.
And it also help in leveraging the process of textile manufacturing, that is, thoroughly cut down the design-to- manufacturing procedure.
In other words, textile mills can experiment new prototypes.
Before making sure that their products get to the market, or sometimes in the event urgent demand.
Textile Business in Nigeria
3D printing is a technology that will have an immense impact in the textile industry. Its impact is going to be enormous in the tailoring fashion designing in view of the fact that fashion is fast growing globally now. It is a technology that will certainly improve other facets of fashion designing.
Certainly, the new modern technology is likely to disrupt outdated technologies, and soonest, any business that refuses to toe that part of the fourth industrial revolution will be out of business.
Textile Business in Nigeria
Truth be told, the 3D printing has given an indication that textile industry will be sustained.
And fashion business will regain its place in Nigerian economy.
Should Nigeria embrace the fourth industrial revolution.
There is hope that these technologies will attain the purpose to which they were conceived and invented.
Inspite of these challenges facing Nigerian textile industry.
Can Nigeria have a favourable comparative improvement in textile production?
Majority of Nigerians are skeptical considering the nation’s failure in textile production.
Textile Business in Nigeria
Occasioned partially by the influx of imported textile materials into the country.
But you consider the cost of these cheap materials.
You can be rest assure that Nigeria has competitive advantage in the production of textile products.
When you put Nigeria side by side with other nation of the world that produced textile.
However, textile industry today, needs skilled labour, as a result of high demand for technology production.
Textile Business in Nigeria
This time; I will like to look at this idea of automation.
Skillful individuals are needed, so as to manage this process of manufacturing with the use of automation.
There are the people who are in high demand in Nigerian textile industry if it must reap the benefit of the fourth industrial revolution.
Nigerian government should be able to keep to their mandate of supporting entrepreneurial development by ensuring that there is constant power supply in the country.
Textile Business in Nigeria
As this will help boost to a large extent the industrial sector of Nigerian economy.
In terms for raw material for textile production.
Nigeria is one of the leading countries that produced cotton.
Cotton is a raw material used in the production print fabrics.
And is constituted a large percentage of the cost of production, almost fifty percent of the cost textile production.
Since Nigeria is one of the key producers of cotton.
Textile Business in Nigeria
It is therefore means that cotton farming should be encouraged, supported, funded and sustained in Nigeria.
So as to meet the demand of textile production in Nigeria.
Because I am very convinced that textile industry in Nigeria has the potential of leading in the production of textile, since it is also the producer of the textile raw material.
The reason is obvious; the price of cotton in Nigeria, even in the West Africa is low compared to the price of cotton from developed countries of the world.
Textile Business in Nigeria
For instance, the price of cotton in Nigeria is just the half of they buy in India, America and China.
Of course, we all know that these countries are the three largest cotton producers, the world over.
The reason for this is not farfetched, taking Nigeria for example; cotton production is at small scale.
Nevertheless, if Nigeria must meet up with the volume of textile production of the 80s and exceed that volume of production.
Then it must embrace the fourth industrial revolution, and then engage in large or commercial scale in cotton production in this country.