Recall that the governor of Anambra state, Governor Charles Soludo during his election campaigns, disclosed his intention to promote locally-made products in Nigeria. One of which is the Akwete fabric which he promised to always wear. The Akwete fabric is a unique handwoven textile produced in Akwete town in Abia State, which is usually done by the Akwete women.
The Akwete cloth is made of cotton thread, while the decorative patterns and effects are added with a thread of heavier texture or contrasting colors. Indeed Governor Soludo did not mince words with regards the Akwete fabric. Asides from his swearing-in ceremony where he wore the beautifully made fabric, he has also been seen on countless occasions wearing the fabric.
This act by him has shot up the demand for the locally made fabric. According to reports, it was disclosed that the governor sent one of his reporters to Akwete in Abia state where the fabric was being produced, and it was discovered that the demand for the material is now in high demand, courtesy of Governor Soludo’s decision.
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The governor has done something remarkable for the made-in Nigerian product as he has revived the already dying Akwete textile industry. He has also increased the source of livelihood for the women of Akwete, as the majority of them are now smiling to the bank because of the high demand for their fabric.
It might interest you to know that not only is Governor Soludo rocking the Akwete cloth, but his first daughter Adaora Soludo has also followed suit. While scrolling on the Twitter app, I came across her Twitter handle @adaorasoludo where she wore a beautiful cloth made of Akwete fabric. Right under her post, a lot of people made inquiries about how to get the material. I felt ecstatic that a made in Nigeria product is now in high demand, which I tagged as “the Soludo effect”.
By Soludo’s decision to wear the famous Akwete cloth, he is already standing shoulder taller than his peers and contemporaries in the promotion of locally made-in Nigerian products. There is no better way he could have done it, than rocking the material himself which has seen him lead the push to appreciate and patronize the work of Nigerian citizens.
Soludo has already changed the narrative of people who saw those wearing the Akwete dress as low-class people. It will be ideal if other Eastern governors can take a cue from Governor Soludo to put heads together and support the local economy to reduce the over-dependence on foreign-made goods. The need to patronize locally made-in-Nigeria goods cannot be overemphasized, as it is one major way to boost economic growth and development.
The economy of a nation grows when locally made goods are promoted through patronage first by its people than through export. According to statistics, Nigeria spends $4 billion to import textile materials yearly. Such an outrageous amount should rather be used to develop our textile industry. It is appalling to see that the country has been growing other countries’ economies due to our over-dependence on imported goods, especially those that have a local substitute.
With proper funding for the Akwete textile industry, it will in no distant time see the fabric compete with foreign textile materials, which will also see it being exported to foreign countries. It is indeed a new dawn for the women of Akwete as they are about to witness a drastic financial turnaround from the era of lack and penury to an era of plenty.
