The Senate Tuesday, called for total ban on importation of textile materials into the country as a way of resucitating and protecting the Nation’s textile Industry.
This is as it called on the federal government to expedite action on putting into shape, the power sector in the country .
These was sequel to a motion sponsored to that effect by Senator Barkiya Abdullahi Kabir ( APC Katsina Central).
Specifically, the President of the Senate , Ahmad Lawan in his remarks after the resolutions, said for the country to overcome the challenges posed by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement entered into by the Federal Government, local producers must live up to the billing of the forces of a competitive market.
According to him, until Nigeria addresses the issue of unsteady power supply and smuggling, there’s little that can be achieved through the closure of its borders to goods coming in from neighbouring African countries.
He said: “We have signed into the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. We cannot easily stop trading with other people, so we need to be competitive.
“The problem of textile industry in Nigeria is not the market; the market is huge. The problem is largely the issue of power, because you need power to be competitive.
“We really need to push for the fixing of power sector in this country. I agree we should close the border, but that is going to bring only temporary relief for us. It is not going to be permanent while solving our problems.
Earlier, the Sponsor of the motion, Senator Barkiya noted that the textile industry in Nigeria played a significant role in the manufacturing sector of the economy with a record of over 140 companies in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
