Ecobank Nigeria has restated its commitment to ensuring that Nigeria’s Adire industry leverage the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

 

 

Speaking at the third edition of the annual Ecobank ‘Adire Lagos Experience’, in Lagos, recently,  the Executive Director, Commercial Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, Kola Adeleke, said the bank is committed to helping businesses, exhibiting at the fair, explore opportunities available through the Africa trade pact.

 

 

The event, held at the ultra-modern Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC), saw over 100 exhibitors showcase locally- processed adire attires made by indigenous designers.

 

 

“After the program, we are going to continue partnering with these 100 merchants them. We are going to support them to build capacity. We are going to even use the opportunity for them to improve the quality of whatever they are producing for export purposes,  because ultimately, our goal is to ensure that Adire becomes  an African brand with global acclaim.

 

 

“This is very unique for us as an organization because it will help to grow our nation’s economy as we see the export potential there. We are going to profile all these merchants on the Ecobank single market trade hub and then position them so that they will be able to export their products to other countries in Africa and beyond”, he said.

 

 

Adeleke described  Adire Lagos’ exhibition as part of the bank’s efforts at supporting and projecting the creative industry in the country, adding that as part of a Pan African bank, operating  in 33 African countries, Ecobank Nigeria  would always  support various productive initiatives, with the Adire exhibition fitting  into the goal.

 

 

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Ogun State, Dr. Fagbayi Oluwasesan, has commended Ecobank for promoting Adire culture to help improve the sector.

 

 

Speaking during his visit to the fair, Fagbayi, said: “The fabric is synonymous to Ogun state. We are the custodians of Adire. It is an indigenous textile from Ogun State and we have to protect it. That’s why we are happy with Ecobank for what they’re doing today, assisting us to showcase what God has given to us, protecting it, and also telling the world that this is what is good for us to be using as fabric.”

 

 

He disclosed that the state government has commenced measures to address the challenge of imported adulterated Adire fabric, which poses a major threat to the local Adire industry.

 

 

“The State House of Assembly have commenced steps, through our ministry, to curb the  inflow of Chinese adulterated fabric.

 

 

“First and foremost, we don’t need to address it as ‘Adire Chinese’. It is never Adire because it is a print on its own that doesn’t pass through the process of how the fabric is made.  The original fabric is made manually, and it passes through nine stages before it is made.

 

 

“We are working on that and a committee has been set up with the approval of the governor that they should go to the market, look at what we can do, and come up with a law, probably; though we may not have the capacity to ban it out-rightly,” he added.

 

Photo Caption:

(L-R) Executive Director, Commercial Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, Kola Adeleke;; Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Bimbola Wright;  Former Chairman, Ecobank Transnational Inc, Emmanuel Ikazoboh.;  Deputy Managing Director, Carol Oyedeji;  Chairman, Luwaji Advisory & Former General Counsel, AFC & ADB, Dr. Adesegun Akin-Olugbade OON.; Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Titi Olujobi; and Company Secretary, Ecobank Nigeria, Kenneth Okere, at the Ecobank Adire Exhibition in Lagos, recently.