Ogun State And ARISE IIP Launch $2.4 Billion Garment Hub To Transform Nigeria’s Textile Industry.
In a bold move to reshape Nigeria’s textile landscape, the Ogun State government, in partnership with Arise Integrated Industrial Platform (IIP), has announced a $2.4 billion garment manufacturing hub set to produce 550 million garments annually, positioning it as one of Africa’s largest. The initiative, revealed on 6 August 2025, aims to curb Nigeria’s staggering $4 billion annual clothing import bill and revive the nation’s once-thriving textile sector.
The ambitious project, located in the Special Agro Processing Zone at Ogun Airport City, is a collaboration between the Dapo Abiodun-led administration and Arise IIP, a Dubai-based multinational backed by the Africa Finance Corporation and Afreximbank. With a groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for September 2025, the facility is expected to produce 4.4 million garments daily, leveraging a capacity of 350,000 tonnes per year. Governor Abiodun hailed the development as a game-changer, noting its potential to employ 120,000 to 150,000 workers directly and indirectly, while stimulating cotton farming across the state.
Nigeria’s textile industry, once a powerhouse with over 180 mills employing half a million people, has dwindled to fewer than 25 firms operating below 20% capacity, as the country spends heavily on imported clothing, including $1.2 billion in smuggled goods annually. This hub, described by Arise IIP president Gagan Gupta as a step towards making Nigeria Africa’s textile hub, will rejuvenate the sector by encouraging local cotton production and creating a robust value chain from farming to garment manufacturing.
The project aligns with national efforts to promote Made-in-Nigeria goods, with Ogun State already mandating over 70,000 public servants to wear locally produced clothing weekly. Industry experts, including Adenike Ogunhesi of the Garment and Accessories Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, have long advocated for such initiatives, citing Bangladesh’s $43 billion garment export industry as a model. Capturing just 10% of that market could generate $3.3 billion in exports and over a million jobs, Ogunhesi noted.
Local communities are abuzz with optimism, as the hub promises not only economic growth but also opportunities for youth and women in the textile value chain. With Ogun State already hosting major investments like Aliko Dangote’s cement factory, this development cements its status as Nigeria’s industrial powerhouse. As the nation prepares for the hub’s launch, the vision of a self-sufficient textile industry is within reach, offering hope for reduced imports and a revitalised economy.
