Ogun cotton project records harvest as stakeholders push industry revival
By Cynthia Alo
The cotton, textile and garment value chain in Nigeria may be on the path to revival as a private sector-driven initiative in Imobi, Ogun State, records a major harvest, drawing the attention of key government agencies, financiers and industry players.
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The project, situated in Imobi, Ijebu East Local Government Area, is being driven by House of Dorcas Integrated Services (HDI) under the leadership of entrepreneur Ololade Adeneye, in collaboration with local farmers and international technical partners.
Nigeria currently loses an estimated $6 billion annually to textile imports, despite having the resources for local production. Experts projected that the country could generate over $10bn from a fully developed cotton value chain.
Speaking during a field visit to the demonstration farm, the Minister of State for Industry, John Enoh, said the initiative represents a practical step towards repositioning the sector.
He said: “The HDI demo farm serves as a practical pilot for Nigeria’s cotton revival, focused on validating production systems that can reliably supply raw materials to the textile industry. Two distinct approaches stand out: best practice cultivation to optimize yield and fibre quality, and stress-tested plots designed to build resilience under real field conditions.
“A key highlight for me was HDI’s strong community engagement model. The farm serves as a training and knowledge transfer platform, equipping local farmers through hands-on support, extension services and technical collaboration,” he added.
Enoh said the government remained committed to unlocking sustainable growth across the value chain. “We remain committed to working with stakeholders, unlock sustainable growth, improve livelihoods and reposition Nigeria’s cotton, textile and garment industry for long-term competitiveness,” he stated.
On her part, Adeneye,who holds a degree in fashion and sustainable textile design and an MBA from the University of West London, warned that production targets alone would not sustain the industry without structural reform across the full value chain.
She said: “Industrialisation begins with raw materials. If we do not get cotton production right in quality and quantity, the entire value chain cannot function.
“Cotton production, ginneries, textile manufacturing and garment production must operate as independent industries, but also as interdependent systems. That is how sustainable industrial ecosystems are built,” she added.
Adeneye further stressed the need for data and traceability in operations. “At HDI, we are not just growing cotton, we are building a system that integrates farmer training, extension development and research collaboration, digitalisation of farmers’ data, tracking and traceability, market linkage, grading and standardisation because without structure and systems, there is no sustainability and without sustainability, there is no industry,” she said.
In his earlier remark, the Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, FUNAAB, Prof. Olusola Kehinde, called for science-led agriculture, citing Brazil and Egypt as models worth emulating.
He said : “Drawing from successful models in Brazil and Egypt, we must restore our commitment to driving Nigeria’s agric sector through research, data-driven practices and best agronomical techniques.
“Emphasis must be on science-led agric, structured extension services and climate-smart farming to achieve food security and economic diversification.”
On the sidelines of the event, the Raw Materials Research and Development Council and the Bank of Industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration aimed at converting research outputs into bankable projects within the agric value chain.
Speaking on the visit to the farm, Director General of the Council, Prof. Nnanyelugo, said their participation underscores commitment to promoting local raw materials for industrial growth.
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