In a bid to revive the cotton, textile and garment (CTG) sector, the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Enoh, has begun a tour of key textile industry sites in Kaduna State.
He stressed that revitalising them will boost job creation and economic growth.
“The ministry has convened sub-sector stakeholder engagements to identify and resolve bottlenecks, promote public-private partnerships and collaborate with development partners, strengthen policy frameworks and support local manufacturing by boosting export competitiveness,” the ministry said in a statement.
Enoh underscored the need to revive the Kaduna United Nigerian Textiles Limited (UNTL), saying its return to full operation would restore confidence in Nigeria’s textile heritage and catalyse broader industrial growth.
He pledged continuous government support, assuring stakeholders that the administration remains steadfast in its mission to restore Nigeria’s industrial pride and reposition the CTG sector as a driver of inclusive growth.
Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, expressed deep concern about the factory’s cessation of operations in 2022.
Read Also: Weak cotton production threatens revival of Nigeria’s textile sector
He attributed it to economic constraints despite its legacy of employing over 10,000 workers across the textile value chain, from spinning and weaving to printing and garment production.
The Emir highlighted the socio-economic impact of UNTL’s collapse, particularly on youth and women, noting its contribution to rising insecurity in the region.
He appealed to the government to urgently address the unreliable power supply, which severely hindered production, and infiltration of smuggled and dumped textiles, which undermines domestic competitiveness.
The monarch also highlighted weak intellectual property protection, which discourages innovation and investment, and limited institutional support for local procurement, especially for military and paramilitary uniforms.
The delegation also visited Chellco Industries, a resilient textile firm that has remained operational since 1980, despite decades of economic turbulence.
Senator Enoh commended the management and noted that Chellco provides direct employment to over 290 workers, contributing significantly to the local economy.
‘Don’t include filling stations in abandonment regulation’ (brief)
From John Ofikhenua, Abuja
As the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) commenced Stakeholders’ Consultation Forum on the Proposed Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Safety and Environmental Regulations 2025, retail outlets owners have kicked against the inclusion of filling stations abandonment and decommissioning in the regulation.
NMDPRA Secretary and Legal Adviser, Dr. Joseph Tolurushe broke the news at the forum in Abuja on Tuesday.
Speaking with reporters on the sideline of the forum, he said some of the stakeholders have urged the Authority to limit the regulation to the midstream instead of extending to the downstream facilities.
The NMDPRA is however insisting that there should be a proper way of abandoning filling stations in a manner they will not contaminate underground water.
His words: “Some of them feel that, in the areas of the consolidated and abandonment regulations, some of them feel that, look, we should limit it to midstream facilities. We should not take it down to downstream facilities.
“They are looking at it. Take, for example, filling station. Some of them, they come and say, Oh, don’t take it to government filling station.
“If we are going to abandon the filling station, there should be a way you abandon it properly, so that there’s no contamination of our groundwater. So, in those areas, we will know how to treat the law, to take care of all those areas of concern.”
He recalled that in 2013, the Authority made three regulations: The regulations are Borders of Safety Regulations, Abandonment and Decommissioning Regulations, and Environmental Regulations.
According to him, the Authority has decided to consolidate the three regulations into one single regulation in line with international best practices.
The Legal Adviser said the essence of the consolidation is “So that it will be easy to refer to, so that it will also be easy for doing business.”
He said it is also an opportunity for the NMDPRA to amend some parts of those regulations that were made in 2023.
He said the engagement presented a chance to receive comments and suggestions from which the three regulations are consolidated into one.
Tolurushe said the NMDPRA was taking a cue from other countries like Norway that have just one or two regulations.
He said the fact that the Authority is amending its regulations to suite those of other jurisdictions show that it is regulating itself.
“So, we also use it as an opportunity to review it. So, in reviewing it, we have consolidated the three regulations into one. Basically, if you recall, we had consolidated about ten regulations before into one.
“You know, so that we don’t have replete of many regulations in the industry. In some jurisdictions like Norway, we found out that they only have one or two regulations that regulate their upstream activity.
“So, it is also to tell you, we are trying to move into an era of self-regulation,” he said.
In his opening remarks, the NMDPRA Chief Executive, Engr. Farouk Ahmed event was held in furtherance of Section 216 of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 (PIA) which mandates consultation with stakeholders prior to the finalisation of Regulations made under the Act.
The Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Storage, and Retailing Infrastructure, Mr. Ogbugo Ukoha, who represented him said Section 33 of the PIA is to the effect that the Authority may make regulations for all activities relating to midstream and downstream petroleum operations in Nigeria.
He said accordingly, the proposed 2025 Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Safety and Environmental Regulations (Safety and Environmental Regulations) consolidates three of the Authority’s earlier published regulations into a single document.
The consolidation process, he said, has enabled the Authority to reduce the complexities of navigating and implementing the Authority’s numerous regulations.
He also said it has streamlined all activities concerning health, safety, and environmental operations, including decommissioning and abandonment in the midstream and downstream petroleum industry.
Ahmed noted that the consolidation is to
eliminate inconsistencies and repetitions across multiple Regulations; and
Engender further compliance with the PIA and Regulations made thereto.
The ACE said the regulations are to be read in conjunction with other regulations made by the Authority including the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Fees Regulations, 2024 which provide for the prescribed fees for midstream and downstream petroleum activities.
