Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for a working visit to the Republic of Benin, leading a delegation of six state governors and senior government officials on a mission to study the country’s industrial model for the revival of Nigeria’s textile sector.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, the delegation will visit the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) near Cotonou to examine how Benin has developed an integrated textile and agro-industrial value chain.
The delegation is expected to hold discussions with officials of the Beninese government, investors and private-sector operators managing the 1,640-hectare industrial hub, which combines cotton spinning, weaving, fabric processing and garment manufacturing into a single production ecosystem.
The governors accompanying the Vice President are Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Dikko Radda (Katsina) and Umar Namadi (Jigawa).
Nkwocha said the visit is intended to support the implementation of Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme by exploring how the GDIZ model can be adapted to strengthen agro-industrial development in the country.
“The visit is aimed at strengthening the implementation of Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Programme and examining how the GDIZ model can be adapted to Nigeria’s agro-industrial zones, including through the development of garment-training facilities and dedicated processing infrastructure near agricultural production communities.”
He noted that the African Development Bank is already supporting plans to establish a garment-training centre under the SAPZ programme in Ogun State.
The statement added that the visit comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to revive Nigeria’s once-thriving textile industry, which has faced decades of factory closures, limited local processing and growing competition from imported fabrics and garments.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s textile, apparel and footwear industry was valued at about ₦8.15 trillion in 2024 and recorded an additional ₦2.45 trillion in nominal output during the first quarter of 2025.
Nkwocha said the delegation will also assess ways to strengthen linkages across Nigeria’s textile value chain, connecting cotton farmers, ginneries, spinning mills, textile manufacturers, fashion businesses and export markets.
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He explained that developing such a value chain could reduce the country’s reliance on textile imports, conserve foreign exchange and create employment opportunities across agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, fashion and retail.
The delegation is also expected to explore opportunities for technology transfer, industrial training, modern production equipment, reliable energy systems, shared processing facilities and stronger public-private partnerships to enhance the competitiveness of Nigeria’s textile industry.
Nkwocha added that the working visit aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on industrial revitalisation, economic diversification, agricultural transformation, import substitution, job creation and expanding non-oil exports.
