Ban on Textile, Furniture Importation Remains – FG
 23rd OCT 2006

Federal Government at the weekend denied lifting ban on importation of textile and furniture into the country. President Olusegun Obasanjo denied the allegation at the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) award ceremony in Lagos. The president, who was represented by Mr. Abdulkarim Ahmed, special adviser to the president on Industry, said what the Federal Government did was to lift ban on the basic components and parts used by textile manufacturers and furniture makers in Nigeria.

The basic components, according to him, are those essential tools that are needed in the industry to run machines, which cannot be produced locally. His words: “Recently, we read in the newspapers that the Federal Government has lifted ban on importation of textiles and furniture. I want to correct this story; furniture and textiles are still banned.

“The only change is where we have basic components and parts that manufacturers in Nigeria cannot produce. We cannot ban importation of furniture and also ban the basic components. What we don’t produce, we ask them to do it for us to keep our industries going.’’

He said that why the government would not lift ban on the importation of textiles was, after careful study, it realised that almost all the government textile firms were dead, while few in the private sector were still in business and needed encouragement and protection. The president said the government was looking forward to the time when Nigerian textile manufacturers would produce enough for home and export. According to him, “we are encouraging them not only for what we need, but for export to the neighbouring countries. “We cannot encourage the importation of suites when we can produce them in Aba, even for export. “We are looking at ways to revive textile industries so that they can go back to their glorious days.’’

Besides, he advised the organised private sector not to rush to the press on issues/policy it feels that don’t favour it, rather than come forward to dialogue with the government. It would be recalled that recently, the Federal Government pumped in N50 billion for the revival of textile industry.

While praising Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and NAFDAC for ensuring that Nigerians enjoyed quality products, the president singled them out as agencies that reflect his regime’s good intentions.

His words: ‘‘Let’s first of all look at what was happening in the past, examine the present with special reference to NAFDAC as true successful story of what is happening with the present administration today. Both SON and NAFDAC have done successfully well. We want to give them all the support especially this period of sector reforms.’’

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