Aba’s Garment, Footwear Hub Can Rival Oil Revenue — Obi

​ABA, NIGERIA — Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has asserted that the industrial clusters of Aba, Abia State, possess the economic muscle to match Nigeria’s crude oil earnings if the sector receives the necessary government backing and infrastructure.

​Speaking on Sunday following a high-profile visit to the Enyimba City, Obi highlighted the untapped potential of the local garment and footwear industries. He noted that while Nigeria remains heavily dependent on volatile oil markets, countries like Vietnam and Bangladesh have built global economic empires on the back of similar manufacturing strengths.

​The Production Blueprint

​Obi’s visit, at the invitation of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, included a strategic engagement with stakeholders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and a live interview on Magic 102.9 FM. During the broadcast, his first media appearance of 2026, Obi reiterated his “Consumption to Production” mantra.

​”Aba remains a hub for garment and shoe production. Both products earn as much as we earn from oil for Bangladesh and Vietnam respectively, and can do so for Nigeria if well managed and supported,” Obi stated.

​Available economic data supports this outlook. As of 2025, Vietnam’s textile and footwear exports surpassed $70 billion combined, while Bangladesh’s garment sector remains a global titan. In contrast, the Aba shoe cluster, which produces roughly one million pairs of shoes weekly, continues to struggle with erratic power and limited access to international credit.

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​Leadership and Infrastructure

​The former governor commended Governor Alex Otti for his ongoing urban renewal efforts in Aba. Recent milestones in the state include the commissioning of the $35 million industrial facility in Aba and the upgrading of power infrastructure to support the Geometric Power Plant, which is central to the city’s industrialization.

​However, Obi maintained that the “New Nigeria” he envisions is stalled by a lack of “competent leadership with capacity and compassion.” He argued that the transition to a production-based economy requires a deliberate national policy to protect and subsidize local manufacturers in Aba, similar to the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes used by competitors like India.