Paper Industry Collapse Costs Nigeria ₦674bn Yearly, 300,000 Jobs Lost
Nigeria is losing about ₦674bn annually to imports as its paper industry collapses, with local mills shut for over two decades and sector contribution to GDP stuck at 0.14%.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows imports surged to ₦1.11tn in 2025, while local producers meet less than 10% of demand.
The downturn has wiped out an estimated 300,000 jobs and deepened reliance on foreign suppliers, with stakeholders citing policy failures, high costs, and weak investment as key challenges.
