UMUAHIA — Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has donated N2 billion to support Akwete cloth production in Abia State, urging Nigerians to promote the indigenous fabric on the global stage.
Tinubu made the call during a working visit to Akwete in Ukwa East Local Government Area, where she toured the weaving centre and met with members of the Akwete Weaving Cooperative Society.
Details of the visit were provided by her media team during a reception held in her honour in Akwete.
“I am here to announce to all Nigerians… that they should take Akwete to the nation and international community,” she said. “Why not wear Akwete? It’s a beautiful fabric… those are the things that they have to modernise.”
The First Lady described Akwete as a heritage craft passed down through generations and stressed the need to preserve it amid growing preference for foreign textiles.
She said the N2 billion donation was aimed at empowering women in the Akwete weaving hub and boosting local production.
Tinubu also pledged personal commitment to promoting the fabric, revealing plans to wear Akwete in the future.
“Our tradition and culture tell us who we are. The moment we lose that, we won’t remember where we come from,” she added.
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, commended the First Lady for the visit and support, describing it as timely for the revival of the local textile industry.
“This visit means a whole lot to us… we believe that there is a lot that Akwete can do,” Otti said, noting that the state had been engaging the sector since 2023.
He also used the occasion to praise President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy and naira floatation, which he said have freed up resources for development.
Wife of the governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, described Akwete cloth as one of the oldest textile traditions of the Igbo people, commending the First Lady for supporting women through the Renewed Hope Initiative.
The event drew political and community leaders, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and other stakeholders, who lauded the intervention and pledged continued support for the development of the Akwete industry.
Tinubu was also conferred with the chieftaincy title of “Ugo Nwanyi of Abia” (Pride of Womanhood) in recognition of her contributions to women’s empowerment and cultural preservation.
