This study investigates the role of public- private partnership (PPPs) in enhancing innovation in the Nigerian textile and fashion market in a situation of economic uncertainty, with a comparative analysis of China and Bangladesh. A quantitative survey design with a secondary comparative component was employed. Primary survey data were collected from 550 major stakeholders in five states: Lagos, Abia, Rivers, Abuja, and Kano. Regression analysis was used to test three hypotheses examining the relationship between PPP mechanisms, innovation capacity and SME performance. Regression results indicate that PPP- driven initiatives were significantly more effective than government-only approaches in explaining 65.9% variation in digital capability (R2 = 0.659, β = 0.765, p< 0.001), 72.9% variation in SME performance (R2 = 0.729, β = 0.812, p = 0.001), and 69.9% variation in competitive conditions (R2 = 0.699). The results further indicate that economic uncertainty and limited industry growth were compounded by structural challenges, including infrastructural deficit (mean = 3.05/10) and policy discontinuity (mean = 4.01/10), alongside a 47.43% growth in the value of textile imports at N814.27 billion between January-September 2025. Female respondents accounted for 56.7% of the sample highlighting the critical role of gender in innovation and human capital development. Comparative analysis indicates that PPP-based industrial clustering in China and export oriented institutional framework in Bangladesh offer scalable frameworks for improving innovation and resilience. The study concludes that PPPs represent a strategic governance mechanism capable of addressing economic uncertainty, enhancing innovation systems, and supporting sustainable industrial development in Nigeria’s textile and fashion industry.

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