Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has pledged two billion naira towards the revitalisation of the historic Akwete hand-woven textile industry in Abia State, in what officials described as a major push to preserve the country's indigenous cultural heritage and to stimulate local textile production.
The pledge was made during her maiden visit to the Akwete Weave Incorporated Village in the Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia. She said the intervention was aimed at developing the Akwete production hub and at boosting the wider economy of the state, presenting the craft as an asset with real commercial value.
At the historic weaving community, the First Lady was received by the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, and his wife, Priscilla. The visit brought together government officials and local weavers around the future of a trade that has long been associated with the town and its distinctive cloth.
Senator Tinubu encouraged the preservation of the craft while calling for the fabric to be modernised for wider acceptance, stressing that any changes should be made without eroding its cultural identity. She framed the support as a way of keeping the tradition alive while opening it to new markets at home and abroad.
The First Lady linked the initiative to the empowerment of women, many of whom sustain the weaving trade, and to the broader promotion of the country's cultural identity. Her hosts presented the intervention as one that could raise household incomes and create fresh opportunities in the community.
In recognition of her contributions to women's empowerment and cultural promotion, Senator Tinubu was conferred with a traditional title during the visit. The honour underscored the community's embrace of the pledge and the symbolism it carried for a weaving town seeking to secure the future of its heritage.
Governor Otti used the occasion to commend President Bola Tinubu's economic reforms, pointing to the removal of the petroleum subsidy in 2023 and the floating of the naira. He argued that the measures had freed up funds previously spent on financing consumption for use in development at the federal, state and local levels, and he highlighted what he called the global potential of the Akwete textile industry.