Ogun to boost employment with Adire Digital Initiative

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Adire Ogun Digital Marketplace

Governor Dapo Abiodun
Governor Dapo Abiodun

By Adejoke Monsurat

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has disclosed that the Adire Ogun Digital Marketplace will galvanize the vibrancy of the youths to boost employment.

While launching the Adire Ogun Digital Market Place, on Thursday in Abeokuta, the governor said the platform would be a melting pot for over 2000 participants and would open up a value chain for adire business.

He also said that his administration would introduce adire as part of the school uniform in the state from 2021.

The governor announced the facilitation of a single-digit interest loan for all those participating in adire production and sale value chain.

Abiodun further said his government would facilitate the opening of adire concession shops in Lagos and other commercial cities in the country.

The governor also called on the Federal Government to adopt 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 the nation to the outside world.

He said the policy directive for civil and public servants in the state to wear Adire attire every Friday of the week had helped in promoting the fabric and boosting the trade.

He also advocated the making of ceremonial dress from Adire for the nation’s athletes taking part in International Sporting activities.

Already, the Governor said, starting from next term, adire fabric would become official school uniform in all public schools in the State.

“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 the Adire at the National level. For example, members of the Federal Executive Council and other top government functionaries can adopt the Adire for National events.

“Our Foreign Missions could also adopt the Adire fabric as a cultural symbol that will further project our rich culture to the outside 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”, he noted.

The governor, however, called on the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who was the Special Guest. at the launching to champion a programme for the adoption of adire fabric for national events.

Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, in his address applauded the state for making efforts to showcase adire in the international arena, adding that it was in line with the Federal government diversification policy.

He said the 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.

The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, who spoke on behalf of traditional rulers at the event, traced the history of adire to the19th century.

Wife of the Governor, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun described the Adire Ogun 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.

Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Oluwatosin Taiwo, opined that tourism, apart from creating jobs, could also generate revenue which would assist the socio-economic development of the state.

He said the State was blessed with world class tourism potentials that would generate foreign exchange, adding that the history of Abeokuta would not be complete without adire. He observed that depite influx of foreign fabrics, Adire was still making huge impact on the State and country.

The governor and his wife as well as the minister and the monarch made the first online order for the adire fabric on the www.adireogun.com platform.

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