FIRST LADY URGES NIGERIANS TO EMBRACE AND PROMOTE INDIGENOUS AKWUETE FABRICS

The wife of the President Senator Oluremi Tinubu has supported the intervention establishment of a modern weaving and research centre for the renowned Akwete fabric in Abia State with the sum of two billion naira.

Mrs Tinubu who made the support during an official civic engagement of Akwete Weaving Cooperative Society in Akwete, Ukwa East LGA, interacted with women weavers, inspected the cooperative’s facilities and witnessed demonstrations of the traditional hand-weaving procedure.

She said that the proposed facility, would serve as both a production hub and a training institution for future generations of weavers and help to modernise the industry without eroding its cultural identity.

While describing the centuries-old Akwete textile tradition as a national heritage that must be preserved Mrs Tinubu urged Nigerians to embrace the indigenous fabric rather than placing values on western attire.

She advised the weavers to preserve the authenticity of the craft while adapting it for contemporary uses, noting that Akwete fabrics could be transformed into a wide range of products beyond the traditional wrappers.

Governor Alex Otti while welcoming the First Lady said that his government has been making efforts to revitalise the Akwete weaving industry since his assumption of office in 2023.

Governor Otti explained that without embracing innovation and technology, the indigenous textile industry could lose market share to machine-produced imitations already being manufactured in countries such as India and China.

He commended President Bola Tinubu for undertaking what he described as difficult but necessary economic reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidy and the floating of the naira amongst others despite the temporary economic challenges.

Earlier, the Wife of the Governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti, who described the maiden visit of the First Lady as a historic milestone, commended Senator Tinubu’s leadership of the Renewed Hope Initiative, noting that it has gone a long way in empowering women caring for the elderly, assisting persons with disabilities amongst others in the country.

The event featured the conferment of the chieftaincy title of “Ugonwanyi” on the first Lady by the Abia State Traditional Rulers Council also attracted other notable Abia indigenes irrespective of party affiliations including Abia APC Women Leader, Lady Chino Cecila Erondu.