By Ebunoluwa Sessou & Esther Chukwuchebem

For lovers of Adire fabrics, the 4th edition of the Ecobank Adire Lagos is such that would continue to linger, not for anything else but for the fact that it was an avenue to promote entrepreneurship skills, raise awareness on the need to patronize Nigerian locally made fabrics.

Over 130 vendors showcased a diverse array of Adire designs, fashion items, and lifestyle products, attracting fashion enthusiasts, cultural professionals, creatives, entrepreneurs, and shoppers from across Nigeria and beyond.

The enthusiastic spirit was top notch. An array of collections of Adire Fabrics from more than 130 exhibitors who used Adire fabrics of different materials including Calico, Funtua, Batik, Cotton, Silk, Chiffon, to make Kaftan to the Bubu, pant, blouse, bags, jewelries, fascinators, roof design, house interior decorations, cardigans, even story telling.

The 4th edition of the Ecobank Adire Lagos Exhibition, held from June 5 to 8, 2025, at the Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC) in Victoria Island, Lagos, captivated attendees with its vibrant display of Nigeria’s rich textile heritage.

The exhibitors including G-Trends, Exclusively Yours, Zakai, Adire by Rhollar, Sherif Kampala, Dressup by Taiwo, Afume, Ayodeji Aladire, Kwamuhle, Xamira, Kamil Collections, Ayanfe, Fashion by Ashani, Fashionedge, Nathanielles, Jon William by Fabfabrics and Adire. Co among others.

As much as adire fabrics seem to be for the older generations especially women in the early 60s and 70s, the fortune of the adire fabrics is gradually returning to the limelight as entrepreneurs and fashionistas have taken it to another dimension.

The four days event featured exhibitions, run way, traditional dance, Kegite performance, foodies, window shopping, raffle draws, among others.

Exhibitors Speak

Speaking with Vanguard, one of the exhibitors, Modupe Kazeem of G-Trends, the Adire Lagos is an avenue to promote local awareness and employment.

“The Adire is a naturally processed material in Nigeria. We have imported Adire, unfortunately, lots of people do not know that such imported Adire has infiltrated the market. This has made it difficult for people to know the locally made products. But for exhibition such as this, is an avenue to promote the locally made Adire, it creates awareness and boosts the sales.

“Everything naturally created in Nigeria, including Aso-Oke, Ankara and Adire has gone global and I believe it is the time for many people especially internationally to recognize Nigeria as a force to be reckoned with in the fashion industry.

“Everything has come alive, all the buried virtues of our fashion industry has come alive in the last few years, so Adire, as well as Aso-Oke, Ankara, anything naturally produced in Nigeria has now become more internationally recognized and of course, Nigerians that travel Abroad who spend money on designers clothing are now spending our money here in Nigeria and taking our natural clothing Abroad.

“Our organization is involved in the production and sales of Adire. We have predominantly Adire from all over Nigeria, from Abeokuta, Oshogbo, and Lagos among others. Different collections of designs, types of fabrics, depending on the grade.

“We started with the sales of imported fabrics but now we do more local fabrics because with the imported fabrics, it is not as affordable as it used to be because of the rate of dollar and the Nigerian naira has suffered a lot of depreciation over the last few years and because of that, everybody is looking inward.

“We are selling the locally made fabrics and it makes more sales than the imported fabrics. It is also boosting Nigeria’s economy”, she said.

Using Adire to produce locally made bags, Mories Atoki the founder of Exclusively Yours, said, “It is an avenue to showcase an African prints using Adire and Ankara.

“We are proud of what Ecobank is doing and more importantly making the event free and giving us opportunities to scale our businesses. We are very delighted about what Ecobank is doing and we hope we can do more of this going forward.

“It is a generous way of encouraging small businesses especially African focused Nigerian businesses and the fact that they are particular about Adire”, she said.

Also, Growth Manager of Zakai brand, Tomiwa said, “The event gives Adire designers the platform to showcase their pieces; even as the organization helps fashion designers to build trust with the customers.

“We are a brand that loves storytelling, so with every of our pieces, we tell a story. We have a wall that tells different stories from beginning to the end and each print has its meanings and for every symbol that is on them.

“We tell African story, the culture, the meaning behind the clothing that you wear, your individuality, what makes you different, what makes you stand out. Our pieces are different from other brands and it is intentional.

“We love to see people smile and be happy when they wear our clothes. We use Calico and Funtua cotton. So our pants fabrics are very thick and it can last for years, no wear, no tear, no fading. So just the fact that you can have us with you for a very long time and you will continue to love it, which is enough for us.

Reacting, the Head of SMEs at Ecobank Nigeria, Omoboye Odu, said that the exhibition underscores the bank’s commitment to being a leading financial partner for SMEs across various sectors.

She said: “The event is designed to celebrate the rich heritage of Adire fabric and indigenous fashion, providing a crucial platform for local artisans, textile producers, designers, and cultural entrepreneurs.

“It enables them to showcase their craft, gain market visibility, and connect with broader industry networks.

“Past editions of the exhibition have drawn remarkable turnouts and garnered substantial media attention, reinforcing the growing importance of the creative sector in Nigeria’s economic transformation.

“This year’s exhibition promises a dynamic blend of established brands and emerging designers who embody innovation, cultural pride, and export potential”, she said.