By CHARLES IWUOHA

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, says his government will formalize the promotion, patronage and usage of Akwete handmade clothes in the state, Nation and African continent.

Governor Otti stated this at the weekend during a courtesy visit to the Governor by a delegation from Ethnorcentrique Limited.

He commended the organisation's ongoing efforts to boost the State's shoe and garment industry, describing it as aligning with his administration?s vision.

Governor Otti, who acknowledged the traditional structure of the Akwaete fabric industry, described it as oligopolistic. He highlighted the importance of applying technology to enhance the industry?s capacity, improve product quality, and reduce production costs.

He also spoke of the possibility of a legislation to promote the use of Akwete fabric.

This is contained in a statement issued by Otti's Chief press Secretary, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, and made available to journalists in Umuahia, the Abia state capital.

?The Akwaete market looks like an oligopolistic market just like you said; where daughters ? mothers and grandmothers handles the business. It doesn?t go beyond that, we need to find a way to expand it.

?While not deriding what they have done, we can always improve by applying technology, maybe cost of production may become cheaper by the time you have large scale production.

?We can also pass a legislation that ensures that people use it and it must be available for people to get it," Gov. Otti stated.

Governor Otti further told the team, of the need for further discussions to achieve the common goal of the government and the organisation.

"We need to sit down with the producers of Akwaete to explore how we can improve the quality, improve the texture and make it something lighter, not deriding what have been done, we can always improve and cost of production might become cheaper,"

Governor Otti, who thanked the team for chosen Aba for the programme, noted that the global textile, cotton, and garment (CTG) space remains a lucrative industry worth $1.8 trillion, with significant shares controlled by countries like the United States, China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam.

Earlier, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ethnocentrique Limited, Mrs. Irunna Ejibe, said that the group has been in Aba since May last year to skill up support for 5,000 young people and activate the local economy in a programme tagged 'Fashion Future Programme'.

She said that Abia State was chosen because of the place and status of Aba as the heart of fashion in West Africa, adding that, there is now a visionary government in Abia that came prepared to change the story of the state.

In his presentation, the Institutional Capacity Enhancement Consultant of Ethnocentrique Limited, Mr. Nelson Okwonna, said that the programme is in line with Governor Otti's vision of inclusive economic transformation.

He disclosed that 25 MSME fashion clusters have been created with 2,000 MSMEs engaged and are being supported already as they target 4,000. He requested among other things that the Governor grants an executive order for preference of public procurement of the MSME products.

The group displayed and presented Akwete cloth to the Governor and said that it has to become a world fashion as well as invited the Governor to participate in their forthcoming fashion show holding in Aba on 30th of April, 2025.

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