Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has called on the Federal Government to adopt one of the state’s local fabric popularly called Adire as an attire for national events and as a cultural symbol in the nation’s foreign missions, to further promote the rich culture of Nigeria to the world.
Speaking at the official launch of Ogun Adire Digital Market Place at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto in Abeokuta, Abiodun advocated the making of ceremonial dress from Adire for the nation’s athletes taking part in international sporting activities.
To demonstrably walk his talk, the governor declared that starting from next year adire fabric would become official school uniform in all public schools in Ogun State.
According to him, “I want to call on all stakeholders in the information, culture and tourism sectors to partner with us in promoting this national heritage.
“I want to particularly call on our Honourable Minister of Information and Culture to help promote Adire at the national level. For example, members of the Federal Executive Council and other top government functionaries can adopt and adorn Adire for national events.
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“Our Foreign Missions could also adopt Adire fabric as a cultural symbol that will further project our rich culture to the world. Same thing could also be done by our Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports by making the ceremonial dress of our athletes from local fabrics such as our Adire.
“This will go a long way in promoting the local contents and give expression to President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s ‘produce what we use’ and ‘grow what we eat’ policies.”
Abiodun explained that Ogun Adire Digital Market Place designed to provide a global platform for the marketing and distribution of Adire fabric and its entire value-chain to the global markets and serve as a melting-pot for all participants in the entire system, by providing opportunities for a wider coverage of the market for people to reach out to vendors and transact businesses by logging into Adire Digital Mall.
He said plans have reached an advanced stage to make Adire an important aspect of every day life, as all top government functionaries in Ogun State now wear Adire on Fridays, just as plans are underway to make Adire part of school uniform, saying it would empower more people and further stimulate Adire economy.
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The governor called on investors to take advantage of the new Adire Ogun Digital Market Place by partnering and intensifying their collaboration with Ogun State in the development of arts, culture and tourism.
In his remarks at the event, Minister for Information and Culture, Lai Muhammed, applauded Ogun State for making efforts to showcase Adire in the international arena, noting that the action was in line with the Federal Government’s diversification policy.
He said Adire Ogun Digital Market Place would serve as a veritable platform to marketing local fabrics, create employment and promote the nation’s cultural heritage, calling stake to make the best of the opportunity.
Also speaking at the event, the Wife of the Governor Ogun State, Bamidele Abiodun, described the digital market place as a consolidation of centuries of creativity and enterprise which would benefit more women when exposed to national and international market, calling on producers to always think about the environment, by disposing used chemicals properly.
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To Alake of Egbaland, Oba Oludotun Gbadebo, Adire is a veritable foreign exchange earner. He charged all producers to properly handle chemicals used in producing adire, as it was dangerous and harmful to health.
Ogun State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Oluwatosin Taiwo, in his part, said the state was blessed with world class tourism potentials that would generate foreign exchange.
He added that the history of Abeokuta would not be complete without Adire. He noted that depite influx of foreign fabrics, Adire continues to make huge impact in Ogun State and beyond.
Idowu Sowunmi
