By Osa Mbonu-Amadi, Arts Editor

The Director-General of National Council for Arts and Culture, NCAC, Otunba Segun Runsewe, has appealed to the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Bago, to rescind his ban on the wearing of native clothes by the state civil servants to the office except on Fridays.

Runsewe said the ban may be misconstrued by many people, especially young persons who have taken to wearing and showcasing Nigerian wear at social events and outside the country, thus helping to promote the richness of Nigerian culture and tradition.

Runsewe, who is also the President, World Craft Council, Africa Region, said the ban, if not reappraised, may hurt our local fashion industry, impacting on the tailoring profession and the revival of our fabric sector which has in recent times been facing stiff competition from foreign companies who fake and import poor quality Nigerian fabrics into the country.

“I want to most sincerely appeal to His Excellency, Governor Mohammed Bago, to kindly help us keep in focus our efforts to proudly dress as Nigerians and which will help us market our culture, thus creating jobs for our youths, especially women who are in the business of selling native cloth materials and farming of cotton used in the production of the local fabrics.

“The ban will hurt Niger State fabrics economy and impoverish the tailors and all those involved in the downstream sector of the local fashion economy. It may also, in the long run, give huge negative edge to eurocentric fabrics against our cultural way of dressing,” Runsewe reasoned.

The governor had last Saturday, at the presentation of land development and preparation equipment at the Brains and Hammers Rice City in the Wushishi Local Government, banned the wearing of native wears by the state civil servants, both men and women, saying the state workforce should dress like workers who want to create wealth and not as noble men.