To tackle and stop the influx of Chinese-made Adire in Ogun, the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadegbo, on Friday disclosed plans to establish an Adire village in the state.
Oba Gbadegbo announced at a stakeholders forum held at his Ake Palace, Abeokuta, on Friday, saying that the business of Adire had created employment for many youths, taking some out of poverty and criminal activities, hence the need to fight the infiltration.
DAILY POST reports that the paramount ruler had last year inaugurated a committee to tackle the menace yet to no avail.
In another effort to save the industry, the monarch directed Prof. Olajumoke Familoni, President of ICLED Business School, Lagos, to find an intervention to the infiltration of Chinese-made fabrics into the market.
Speaking at the forum titled “Industrialization of Indigenous Adire Fabric: A Way Forward in a Global Economy,” Oba Gbadebo explained that the project will bring about mechanised techniques to enhance efficiency in the production of the fabric without compromising its authenticity.
The monarch stressed that the village, which will be named after the Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, is expected to train and equip local artisans with skills to utilise technology, raise the fabric’s quality to international standards, and enable it to be exported, thereby boosting the nation’s economy and foreign exchange.
The royal father said: “Adire, a traditional fabric steeped in rich cultural heritage, has long been a symbol of creativity and craftsmanship. However, in today’s rapidly evolving global market, it is essential that we not only preserve this artistry but also innovate and adapt.
“ The Wole Soyinka Adire Village Industrialisation Project will serve as a hub where tradition meets modernity, fostering sustainable economic growth while honouring our roots.”
Prof. Familoni, in her remarks, stated that while business competition is inevitable, the school has, however, gotten the interest of the government in the allocation of land for a one-stop shop for the production of essential raw materials, which will be open to all subscribers.
Meanwhile, the member representing Abeokuta South federal constituency, Afolabi Afuape, called for more sensitisation of the traders, adding that the quality of production must also improve to meet international market standards.
“If we keep selling the Chinese Adire, we will continue losing our source of livelihood. We are losing forex exchange but our people don’t understand. We need education and enlightenment; if there were no Chinese Adire today, everyone would be forced to buy our main fabric.
“We must also improve on the quality of production and we also need to go on mass production. That is why this Adire village is important to us as Egbas,” he said.