Vice President Kashim Shettima will on Thursday lead a high-powered Nigerian delegation to the Republic of Benin on a strategic working visit aimed at drawing investment and policy lessons to accelerate the revival of Nigeria’s textile industry and strengthen the country’s agro-industrial transformation.

 

The delegation, comprising six state governors and senior Federal Government officials, will tour the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) near Cotonou, where they will engage officials of the Beninese government, investors and private-sector operators driving the development of one of West Africa’s fastest-growing industrial hubs.

 

The visit is designed to deepen the implementation of Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme while examining Benin’s successful model of agricultural value addition, industrial infrastructure development, investment mobilisation, skills acquisition and export-oriented manufacturing.

 

A major highlight of the visit will be the GDIZ textile park, an integrated industrial complex that spans the entire cotton value chain, from spinning and weaving to fabric processing and garment manufacturing.

 

Covering about 1,640 hectares, the industrial zone is structured to transform agricultural commodities into finished export products, creating value across the production chain rather than relying on raw material exports.

 

The visit comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to revive Nigeria’s once-thriving textile sector, which has suffered decades of factory closures, inadequate local processing capacity and stiff competition from imported fabrics and garments.

 

Despite these challenges, the industry remains a major contributor to the economy.

 

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data show that Nigeria’s textile, apparel and footwear industry was valued at about N8.15 trillion at current prices in 2024, while it generated an additional N2.45 trillion in nominal output during the first quarter of 2025.

 

The delegation is expected to explore strategies for building stronger linkages across Nigeria’s textile value chain, connecting cotton farmers, ginneries, spinning mills, textile manufacturers, garment producers, fashion enterprises and export markets.

 

With its large domestic market for fabrics, ready-made garments, school uniforms, workwear, medical textiles, footwear, home furnishings and fashion products, Nigeria is considered well-positioned to expand local manufacturing, reduce dependence on imports, conserve foreign exchange and create jobs across agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, design and retail.

 

Discussions during the visit will also focus on technology transfer, industrial skills development, modern production equipment, reliable energy infrastructure, common processing facilities and stronger public-private partnerships aimed at improving the quality and global competitiveness of Nigerian cotton, textiles and finished garments.

 

The Nigerian delegation will further assess how lessons from the GDIZ model can be adapted to support the country’s SAPZ initiative, particularly through the establishment of garment-training centres and dedicated processing infrastructure located close to agricultural production clusters.

 

The African Development Bank is already supporting plans to establish a garment-training centre under Nigeria’s SAPZ programme in Ogun State, a key component of the country’s industrialisation strategy.

 

According to Presidency officials, the visit aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises industrial revitalisation, economic diversification, agricultural transformation, import substitution, job creation and the expansion of non-oil exports.

 

Accompanying the Vice President are the governors of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma; Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal; Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang; Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Katsina State, Dikko Umar Radda; and Jigawa State, Umar Namadi.