In a bid to lift thousands of people, particularly youths, out of poverty, Adire Oodua Textile Hub, a resource and industrial hub located at Ife Grand Resorts and Leisure in Ile-Ife, Osun State, has stepped up its empowerment efforts aimed at closing the unemployment gap in Nigeria through the promotion of Adire as a viable means of youth empowerment, cultural promotion, and cultural exchange. Recently, Adire has taken centre stage in the fashion industry globally thanks to the massive promotional campaign by Queen Aderonke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi, founder of Adire Oodua Textile Hub. Beyond the global acceptance of the ancient Adire fabric, it has been identified as a goldmine that can be used to create thousands of jobs and boost the local economy. Leading the pack of private establishments showing how Adire can be used effectively to reduce poverty is Adire Oodua Textile Hub. Since its inception in 2021, the hub, under the leadership of Queen Aderonke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi, has provided grants and free training to over 1000 beneficiaries, including Ife indigenes and residents. Part of the training offered by Adire Oodua Textile Hub includes dye methods like marbling, pleating, and wood binding, as well as wax-resistant methods and ancient needlework techniques.
The drive behind Adire Oodua Textile Hub, as gathered, is wealth creation and entrepreneurship. The hub’s goal is to provide a lot of wealth creation opportunities for about 10,000 women and youth in Adire by the year 2025. Apart from offering free training and grants, Adire Oodua Textile Hub has also partnered with some tertiary institutions like Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, and Ile-Ife as a way of encouraging young people to embrace Adire and take advantage of its growing market. Not only that, Adire Oodua Textile Hub also urged tertiary institutions to include Adire Making in their courses as a skills acquisition programme. The teaching of Adire making in tertiary institutions, according to the hub, will fast-track the entrepreneurial capacity of the young people, which will enable them to generate sustainable income from the local fabric industry after graduation without the hassle of seeking paid employment.
Passionate about the promotion of the local fabric, Adire, and the economic opportunities surrounding the market, Queen Aderonke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi has been actively involved in projects aimed at uplifting the socio-economic status of women through empowerment initiatives, including Adire making. Leading the country’s march to global prominence in the fashion industry, Queen Aderonke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi has used her global fashion platform to promote the Adire fabric non-stop. Her commitment to the promotion of the local fabric is unmatched. Queen Aderonke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi has paved the way for many who are now exploring the lucrative Adire market. Even governments are not left out of the bandwagon. They are now tapping into the diverse Adire market to create economic opportunities for women across the country. For Queen Aderonke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi, it’s a welcome development. The Adire Oodua Textile Hub has changed the face of the local market in Ile-Ife. Thousands of people have been empowered by the hub. And they are not only earning a living courtesy of the skills garnered at the training sponsored by the hub, but they are also contributing their quota to the local economy in Osun. State. For Adire Oodua Textile Hub, the job is far from being done. The goal is to take 10,000 women and youth out of the woods by the year 2025.