Unveiled: New Digital Marketing Platform To Project Nigeria's Adire Fabrics Globally.
It serves as a classical example of the edge digital marketing can provide as the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, Nigeria's Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed and many other dignitaries assembled in Nigeria's South-western town of Abeokuta for the Official Launching of the #AdireOgun E-Commerce Platform, a new Digital Marketplace for Adire fabrics.
Adire is Ogun state's top Native fashion Commodity and the state government is poised to maximise the gains it can attract to the economy. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has described the launch of the digital marketing platform as an innovative way to take authentic adire fabrics to the global market.
Speaking at the launch of the website in Abeokuta, Ogun State recently, the Minister said the platform is a game changer for adire makers, ‘adire’ buyers, Ogun State and Nigeria at large.
“With AdireOgun.com, anyone, anywhere in the world can log on to this website, window shop and buy any ‘adire’ material of choice. In other words, this will catalyze trading in ‘adire’ globally. And, of course, by using this website, an interested user is guaranteed to buy original and top-of-the-class ‘adire’ from the globally-acknowledged home of the product,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed said the Adire Ogun Marketplace will be the largest inventory of adire textiles and accessories, with over two thousand merchants from Abeokuta, which is the undisputed premier centre of ‘adire’ production, not just in Nigeria but perhaps in the world.
He commended the foresight of the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for leveraging technology to promote culture, describing AdireOgun.com as a confluence of technology and culture and a great innovation.
He said the launch of the website could not have come at a better time as the world continues to battle the Covid-19 pandemic, with a lot of businesses resorting to smart solutions in order to keep running.
Alhaji Mohammed said the various Covid-19 safety protocols, especially social distancing, mean that physical contacts are being reduced to the barest minimum hence the need to come up with the kind of smart solution such as AdireOgun.com.
The Minister, along with the Ogun State Governor, made the first purchase of ‘adire’ by placing their orders through the marketing portal.
In his remarks, the Ogun State Governor enjoined the Minister to champion the campaign for the use of ‘adire’ at the Federal Government level in order to give expression to the President’s commitment to the development of the local economy.
To start the marker expansion of Adire from the home front Ogun State government has declared that the local adire fabric would become official school uniform in all public schools in the state effective from next term.
The governor, who gave the directive at the official launch of Ogun Adire Digital Market Place at the June 12 Cultural centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, also urged the Federal Government to adopt adire as attire for national events. He said the gesture was aimed at promoting the nation’s rich culture to the outside world.
The governor said: “For us in Ogun State and starting from next term, plans are on to make adire an integral part of school uniform fabric for our public primary and secondary schools.
“Plans have reached an advanced stage to make adire an important aspect of everyday life, as all top government functionaries in the state now wear adire on Fridays, just as plans are underway to make the Adire part of school uniform.
“It would empower more people and further stimulate the Adire economy. I want to call on all stakeholders in the information, culture, and tourism sectors to partner with us in promoting this national heritage.
“I want to particularly call on our Honourable Minister of Information and Culture to help promote the adire at the national level. For example, members of the Federal Executive Council and other top government functionaries can adopt the Adire for national events.
“Our Foreign Missions could also adopt the adire fabric as a cultural symbol that will further project our rich culture to the outside world. The same thing could also be done by our Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports by making the ceremonial dress of our athletes from local fabrics such as our adire.
“This will go a long way in promoting the local content and give expression to President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s ‘produce what we use’ and ‘grow what we eat’ policies.”