The federal government has been urged by the Nigeria Textile Manufacturers Association (NTMA) to ban all print fabrics import in order to save the textile industry of Nigeria.

"Only full implementation of the ban on printed fabrics will save the textile industry from total collapse," said NTMA Vice Chairman Saddiq Kasim.

He said that there was a need to establish a task force to supervise the ban and make it more effective. "The enforcement of the ban will boost local production, create employment opportunities and also encourage local cotton growers," he said.

Kasim said that the massive smuggling and importation of textiles had led to the closure of more than 50 textile mills in the country since 1997.

"Textile industries that provided more than 137,000 jobs in 1997 now engage only about 57,000 workers and this is attributable to the increase in illegal importation of textiles," he said.

Kasim said that the textile industry still accounted for about 20 percent of total employment in Nigeria, in spite of the activities of smugglers.

He said that the industry was unique in Nigeria as it used a high percentage of locally produced raw materials, unlike other sectors which depended mainly on imported raw materials.

He said that there was a need to protect the local textile industry as it "is the most important printing industry in West Africa which also dominates the market with more than 70 percent of the total fabric production."