Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, NCAC, Otunba Segun Runsewe, Thursday, gave the Ogun State Governor, Mr. Dapo Abiodun, something to cheer when he declared that the governors was his soulmate in whom he was well pleased.
Want to know what swept Runsewe off his feet?
The NCAC boss said Governor Abiodun won his heart with his administration’s strategic campaign to promote indigenous fabrics as national dress code, as Ghana does with pride, thereby showcasing Nigeria’s iconic cultural heritage to the world.
Otunba Runsewe, who is also the President of the World Craft Council (WCC) Africa Region,applauded Governor Abiodun’s decision to adopt the adire fabrics as the official uniform for all students in Ogun State, describing the move as a very critical and visible engagement to support cultural awareness and creativity.
This, Runsewe added, was significant because of its propensity to help sustain the emergence of the adire heritage economy and enhance rural development.
An unapologetic evangelist and campaigner of Nigeria’s cultural advancement through the adaptation and showcasing of the country’s diverse heritage lifestyles, Otunba Segun Runsewe has, while at the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), and now at NCAC, variously made the use of indigenous fabrics the fulcrum of national identify and promotional/marketing tool at local and international cultural tourism events.
“I’m the happiest Nigerian today,” Runsewe told Governor Abiodun. “I thank the Ogun State Governor for joining us to showcase the adire heritage fabrics and adopting it as school uniform for students in Ogun State,as well as its use by government officials and in all activities of government. This is the way to go as it will benefit the rural economy, empower women and youths, and help in the revival of history, heritage teachings and expansion of knowledge.”
A release by the spokes person of the NCAC, stated that the adire fabric was rebranded and became the face of cultural marketing promotion at World Travel markets during Runsewe’s time at NTDC, adopted as golf fabric, laptop bags, facemasks as part of the safety protocols against the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as national colours for specially made suits for international oexhibitions and marketing Nigerian cultural tourism opportunities.
The spokesperson also informed that at NCAC cultural marketing projects, such as the National Festival for Arts and Culture (Nafest), International Arts and CRAFTS expo (INAC), and conferences, local heritage fabrics such as adire and other heritage fabrics across the nation, were usually generously displayed as bounting, flags, neck and wrist wears, with diplomatic communities generously gifted and presented with varieties of our local heritage fabrics.
Governor Dapo Abiodun had, on Thursday, during the flag-off of the Adire Digital Market, held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, advocated for the promotion of Nigerian indigenous fabrics to the world, noting that adire fabrics can be adopted as national colour for the nation’s athletes during sporting engagements, adding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and its Culture and Information counterpart, should buy into the agenda to use adire fabrics to market Nigeria to the outside world.
The governor further explained that Ogun State is willing to partner with all federal government agencies in sports and culture to promote the adire fabrics economy and help grow adire entrepreneurs, empower women and youths, and expose the limitless cultural endowments in Ogun State.
