Nigeria First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Tuesday announced a N2 billion intervention to support the establishment of a modern weaving and research centre for the renowned Akwete fabric in Abia State.
Mrs Tinubu made the announcement during an official/ civic engagement of Akwete Weaving Cooperative Society in Akwete, Ukwa East LGA, where she interacted with women weavers, inspected the cooperative’s facilities and witnessed demonstrations of the traditional hand-weaving process.
Announcing the intervention at the Township School Akwete, the wife of the president, 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.
She described the centuries-old Akwete textile tradition as a national heritage that must be preserved and promoted across Nigeria and urged Nigerians to embrace indigenous fabric.
“I am here to announce to all Nigerians, that the Igbos should take Akwete to the nation. We all wear tie and dye from Yoruba land. We wear Aso Oke. Why not us wearing Akwete? It’s a beautiful fabric.
“On my own, I told the governor, I’m donating N2 billion to the project. I don’t know how you want to use it. The funds are easy for me to give to you, and I believe that that fund would be in good hands”, she said.
Mrs Tinubu explained that her visit was inspired by a documentary she watched on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), where she first learnt about the craftsmanship of the Akwete women.
She disclosed that she had initially mistaken the fabric for one from Ghana before discovering that it originated from Abia State, which prompted her determination to visit the community.
The First Lady praised the unique texture and cultural significance of the fabric, saying it deserved wider national and international recognition.
She also urged 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.
In his speech, the Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti while welcoming the First Lady, revealed that she initiated the visit after becoming fascinated by the Akwete weaving tradition.
“The truth is that you invited yourself. This is your initiative, and you followed up with us to ensure that this visit happened. I want to thank you”, the governor said.
Governor Otti said that his government has been working to revitalise the Akwete weaving industry since assuming office in 2023 by dismantling longstanding barriers that limited its growth.
The governor warned 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 disclosed that the Abia State Government had already designed a comprehensive development plan for the industry and proposed a partnership with the First Lady to deliver a world-class production hub for the women.
“We want to build a production hub, a hub for Akwete women in that cooperative society place.
“For us, we have also been engaging with Akwete as far back as 2023, after I was sworn in, and we believe just like you do, that there’s a lot that Akwete can do”, he said.
Governor Otti also 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, adding that the reforms has increased resources available to federal, state and local governments for infrastructure development and productive investments despite the temporary economic challenges.
In her welcome address earlier, the Wife of the Governor, lady 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, saying its interventions in women’s empowerment, support for small businesses, care for the elderly, assistance to persons with disabilities, food security and other social investment programmes has positively impacted lives across the country.
Mrs Otti highlighted the cultural significance of the indigenous Akwete fabric, noting that it is one of the oldest and most distinguished textile traditions of the Igbo people, handwoven by women in Akwete, and pointed out that the First Lady’s decision to spotlight the Akwete cloth reflects her commitment to creating lasting economic opportunities for ordinary Nigerian women.
She pledged the state’s continued partnership with the Renewed Hope Initiative to ensure that the intervention would strengthen enterprises, preserve the weaving heritage and improve the livelihoods of Akwete women.
In a goodwill message, Former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Uche Ogah, emphasized that empowering women was critical to national development and expressed optimism that the visit would elevate the profile of Akwete cloth beyond Nigeria’s borders as well as position it as a globally recognised cultural symbol and a source of economic growth for the community.
He praised both President Bola Tinubu and Governor Alex Otti for what he described as purposeful leadership, adding that Abia residents were witnessing unprecedented development under the Otti led administration.
Also speaking, the member representing Ukwa East and Ukwa West Federal Constituency, Hon. Chris Nkwonta, described the occasion as a defining moment in the history of Akwete and Abia State, adding that the presidential visit has brought national attention to the centuries-old handwoven fabric and offered renewed hope for its preservation and commercial expansion.
Nkwonta stressed the need to scale up production, internationalise the fabric and establish a modern weaving and research centre to preserve the craft for future generations and warned that without deliberate efforts to train younger women in the art of weaving, the tradition could gradually go into extinction.
The APC chieftain commended Governor Otti for what he described as his administration’s remarkable infrastructural transformation of Abia State, saying the state had “never had it this good,” and pledged to work with the First Lady of Abia State, Mrs Priscilla Otti, and other stakeholders to establish a befitting Akwete Weaving and Research Centre that would serve as a production hub.
