Nigeria Moves to Curb Dumped Paper Imports as Local Producers Push for Market Protection

The Nigerian government has pledged to address the influx of low-cost imported paper products as domestic manufacturers seek support to compete in a market still heavily reliant on foreign educational materials.

Minister of State for Industry, John Owan Enoh, made the commitment during visits to Nixin Paper Mill Nigeria Limited and Specialty Paper Limited in Ogun State, where industry operators raised concerns over the continued dominance of imported paper and textbooks.

Enoh said Nigeria still imports nearly 90% of its textbooks and educational materials despite having local companies capable of producing paper and carrying out printing operations domestically.

“For things as basic as printing paper, we still depend heavily on importation,” the minister said, adding that local producers face competitiveness challenges even though manufacturing facilities exist within the country.

During the visit, Nixin Paper Mill Managing Director Eric Wang said the company invested about $80 million to revive local production of printing and publishing paper after Nigeria depended on imports for more than four decades. According to Wang, the investment process began in 2023 and production started in 2024.

Wang said local manufacturers are under pressure from imported paper products allegedly being sold below local production costs. He disclosed that Nixin recently suspended production for one month due to weak demand and inventory levels exceeding 10,000 tonnes.

The company said Nigeria’s annual demand for printing, publishing and writing paper is about 100,000 metric tonnes and that domestic manufacturers have the capacity to meet that demand. However, producers continue to face high operating costs because key chemicals used in paper production, including hydrogen peroxide and sodium compounds, are still imported.

Industry operators also noted that imported textbooks enter Nigeria duty-free, while local manufacturers pay duties on raw materials and production inputs, creating what they described as an uneven competitive environment.