Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for stronger national support for Nigeria’s Adire textile industry, describing the indigenous dyed-cloth craft as a powerful driver of jobs, cultural pride and economic growth. He made the appeal at the fifth Ecobank Adire Lagos Experience, held in Victoria Island.
Obasanjo’s vision for the Adire textile industry
The former leader urged stakeholders to organise the Adire value chain by setting up associations across the states of the federation. He renewed calls for a National Adire Association and a permanent hub for the craft, arguing that the centuries-old fabric tradition could become a serious source of jobs, tourism and revenue as Nigeria works to diversify beyond oil.
He also pushed for the craft to be taught formally. He suggested incorporating Adire-making into the country’s educational curriculum, particularly in technical schools, as a way to preserve traditional knowledge while creating opportunities for skills development and entrepreneurship among young people.
A growing showcase in Lagos
The four-day event ran from 11 to 14 June at the Ecobank Pan African Centre and drew more than 30,000 visitors, including shoppers, exhibitors, industry stakeholders and cultural enthusiasts. The fair has grown into one of the most visible platforms for the indigenous fabric, connecting makers directly with buyers.
Organisers said the experience is part of the bank’s commitment to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, empowering local artisans and creating market access for businesses across Nigeria and the wider continent. For many vendors, the exposure offers a rare chance to reach large crowds and new customers in one place.
Why the craft carries weight
Adire, the resist-dyed cloth long associated with the South West, is more than decoration. It supports a chain of dyers, designers, tailors and traders, many of them women working in small clusters. Backers argue that with better organisation, financing and branding, the craft could move from informal stalls into a structured industry capable of exporting at scale.
That ambition fits a broader national conversation about looking beyond crude oil for growth. Nigeria’s leaders have repeatedly stressed the need to build up sectors such as agriculture, creative industries and manufacturing. A heritage product with global appeal, supporters say, is exactly the kind of asset the country should be developing.
What it would take to grow
Turning the vision into reality would mean tackling familiar hurdles, from access to affordable credit and quality dyes to consistent standards and stronger protection against cheap imitations. A national body, as proposed, could help coordinate training, certify makers and negotiate better deals for raw materials.
For now, the message from the Lagos fair was one of optimism backed by a call to action. If the country can channel the energy on display into lasting structures, supporters believe the Adire textile industry could become a flagship of Nigeria’s push to earn from its culture as well as its commodities.
Adire has already found admirers far beyond Nigeria, appearing on international runways and in the collections of designers drawn to its rich indigo patterns. That global interest gives the craft a head start that few local industries enjoy. The challenge, backers say, is to make sure the value created by that demand stays with Nigerian makers rather than flowing to imitators abroad.
Events like the Lagos fair also help younger Nigerians see the craft as a viable career rather than a fading tradition. By pairing artisans with banks, buyers and trainers under one roof, organisers hope to keep the skills alive while opening fresh routes to income. With the right support, the former president argued, a centuries-old fabric could yet help write the next chapter of the country’s economic story.
