Follow Us on Google
By Chinenye Anuforo
The Federal Government has pledged to tackle the influx of dumped paper imports into Nigeria as local paper manufacturers struggle to survive despite the country’s growing production capacity.
Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, gave the assurance during visits to Nixin Paper Mill Nigeria Limited and Specialty Paper Limited in Ogun State, where manufacturers raised concerns over the continued dominance of imported paper and educational materials in the Nigerian market.
The minister’s visit focused on pathways to strengthening local manufacturing industries and government support in sustaining domestic production without compromising affordability and market access.
Speaking during the visit, Enoh described it as unacceptable that Nigeria still imports nearly 90 percent of its textbooks and educational materials despite having local companies capable of producing paper and handling printing operations within the country.
“For things as basic as printing paper, we still depend heavily on importation. Almost every textbook sold in this country is printed abroad, not because we do not have facilities here, but because local producers are struggling with competitiveness,” he said.
At the centre of the discussions was Nixin Paper Mill Nigeria Limited, whose Managing Director, Eric Wang, disclosed that the company invested about $80 million to revive local production of cultural paper also known as printing and publishing paper after Nigeria depended on imports for more than 40 years.
According to Wang, the investment began in 2023 while production commenced in 2024, helping to restore local manufacturing capacity for educational and publishing materials.
“Today, Nigerian students can use exercise books and educational materials produced with locally manufactured paper made in Nigeria,” he said.
Despite the investment, Wang lamented that local paper manufacturers are battling intense pressure from imported paper products, particularly low-cost and allegedly substandard paper being dumped into the Nigerian market.
He revealed that the company was recently forced to suspend production for one month because of weak demand and mounting inventory exceeding 10,000 tonnes.
“The major challenge is that importers still dominate the market after decades of dependence on foreign paper. They are very strong and are resisting local competition,” Wang said.
According to him, foreign suppliers are deliberately reducing prices to protect their market share in Nigeria following the emergence of local manufacturers such as Nixin and other domestic paper producers.
“Some imported paper is sold cheaper than our local production cost, even when the quality is lower. They bring in recycled and poor-quality paper just to maintain their hold on the market,” he stated.
Other News
Wang noted that international paper manufacturers see Nigeria’s estimated annual paper demand of about 300,000 metric tonnes as a major market they are unwilling to lose.
“You can go to the open market and see imported paper being sold at very low prices. Some are lower in quality than what we produce locally, but they continue flooding the market because they want to retain their market share,” he added.
The Nixin Managing Director further disclosed that while Nigeria requires about 100,000 metric tonnes of printing, publishing, and writing paper annually, local manufacturers already have the capacity to satisfy that demand.
“We can fully satisfy Nigeria’s demand for printing and publishing paper and even produce beyond current market demand,” he said.
Beyond competition from imports, Wang identified rising production costs as another major obstacle facing local manufacturers.
According to him, key industrial chemicals used in paper production, including hydrogen peroxide and sodium compounds, are still imported because Nigeria lacks sufficient local chemical manufacturing capacity.
“Simple chemicals we need for production are not available locally, so we import them at very high costs. Transportation and logistics make them even more expensive,” he explained.
He also lamented that imported textbooks enter Nigeria duty-free, while local manufacturers pay duties on raw materials and production inputs needed to stay in business.
The situation, according to industry operators, creates an uneven playing field that favours imports over domestic production.
Responding to the concerns, Enoh admitted that existing fiscal policies appear to encourage importation while making local production more difficult.
“It is something we must reconcile. What we currently have appears to encourage importation while discouraging local production and processing, and that is not the direction we want to go,” the minister said.
He assured manufacturers that the Federal Government would engage relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Finance, to review policies affecting the paper and printing industry.
The minister also directed the companies to submit a joint memorandum outlining the challenges confronting the sector so government can begin targeted interventions.
Enoh stressed that Nigeria would not achieve President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s $1 trillion economy target without prioritising local production, value addition, and industrial competitiveness.
“We will not achieve industrial growth by relying almost entirely on imports. Supporting local manufacturers means creating jobs, conserving foreign exchange, and strengthening the economy,” he said.
Beyond paper production, Wang highlighted the wider economic impact of local manufacturing, revealing that Nixin’s operations support thousands of Nigerians through agriculture, transportation, and supply chain activities.
According to him, the company sources more than 150 truckloads of cassava daily from farmers in Oyo State for cassava starch used in paper manufacturing.
“This business supports farmers, transporters, truck drivers, timber contractors, and many others. Through this value chain, we are supporting more than 10,000 Nigerians,” he stated.
He appealed to the Federal Government to strengthen policies encouraging local printing, local paper manufacturing, and patronage of Nigerian-made educational materials in order to sustain the industry and reduce dependence on imports.
