From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Federal Government of Nigeria says it will partner Ogun State on the proposed Fashion Olympics with the aim of hitting the $100 billion target of the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy.
The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, made this known in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, at a dinner organised by the Lai Labode Heritage Foundation in her honour on Saturday.
Musawa, who lauded the Foundation for organising the maiden fashion extravaganza dubbed ‘Egbaliganza’ in the state, stressed that the Federal Government was ready to provide synergy with Ogun and the private sector to take the fashion show to the global level.
She said that President Bola Tinubu’s vision and mission are to see that Nigeria moves from a developing country to a developed nation by harnessing the economic potential in art, culture, tourism, and the creative economy.
Musawa disclosed that a memo has been approved by the Federal Executive Council to identify all the cultural values and unique peculiarities of all the states to boost the economy through cultural creativity.
“It is the mission of President Bola Tinubu to see that we are not only partners as one entity but one country strengthened to propagate and to push our culture forward, but to also see how we can have economic growth through cultural creativity and tourism. And the best way we can do that is if we do not work in silos; we all work together and bring ideas together with private sector entities.
“So, the Federal Executive Council and the NEC have already approved the memo that I talked about, asking that we partner, and the President has already announced the Renewed Hope Culture Programme, where every single culture in villages will be captured as well as the unique peculiarity of that state.
“And when you come to Ogun State, you have to look at Egbaliganza, and this is one of the ways we can capture the unique peculiarity to see that the Federal Government and state governments partner together with private entities, making sure that we push forward the economic growth and hit a target of $100 billion that my ministry is looking forward to and $1 trillion that the President is looking forward to,” the Minister stated.
Also speaking, the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, described the culture revival as a movement.
He noted that his administration made it mandatory for civil servants to wear Adire on Fridays in order to give the local fabric more prominence and boost the economic empowerment of Adire makers and merchants.
Represented by his deputy, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele, Abiodun declared that the decision of his administration has grown the economic value of Adire and created job opportunities.
Earlier in his remarks, the promoter of ‘Egbaliganza’ and CEO of Lai Labode Heritage Foundation, Osi Apagun Lai Labode, disclosed that Egbaland would host a Fashion Olympics in 2026, which will bring about 50 countries in Africa to participate.
He lamented that Africa has only a 1.2% share of the global fashion market of $30 billion, declaring the readiness of Egbaland to lead Africa to a $500 billion fashion economy.
“Today, Africa has only 1.2% of the global fashion market, the global fashion market which is about $30 billion. And with what we have in Africa, Africa can do much better.
“And the Egbas have decided once again, as a cradle of many firsts, to lead Africa to a $500 billion fashion economy. But when we say $500 billion, it means that there is a lot of work to do.
“In 2026, God willing, with good health and more resources, Egbaliganza 2026, to be led by the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, we will sign historic charters in Egbaland to lead us to where we need to go. We will sign a Confederation of Africa Fashion Charter, we will also sign the Nigeria Fashion Federation, and of course, I want you to be the first to know that, for the first time in the history of the world, there would be a Fashion Olympics, and it would be called the Africa Fashion Olympics, and the charter for it will be signed here in Egbaland,” Labode stated.