Education
First Lady’s support for Akwete, genuine – Onuigbo – EnviroNews
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Chief Sam Onuigbo says the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu’s support for Akwete fabrics is a sincere effort to empower local weavers, preserve cultural heritage and position the indigenous textile globally.
Onuigbo, A frontline politician and culture advocate, stated this during an interview in Abuja on Monday, July 27, 2026.
During a recent visit to the Akwete community in Ukwa East Local Government Area, Abia State, where the fabrics are produced, the First Lady among other comments assured that she would adorn the fabrics when President Bola Tinubu is re-elected in 2027.
She also promised to donate N2 billion for the development of the Akwete fabric industry.
Her comments had since been misinterpreted in some quarters as political, rather than a genuine commitment to uplift the fabrics and the living standards of the weavers, who are predominantly rural women of Akwete.
Onuigbo, a former federal lawmaker, however faulted that position, saying that, by visiting the area, Mrs. Tinubu had drawn the attention to the need to promote the local fashion and culture.
“As a moving force for women empowerment, the visionary First Lady knows too well that funding is a major hurdle that restrains women from maximising their potential, be it in politics, industry or trade.
“Beyond the financial lift, the first lady has challenged the women to up their craft, particularly in this age of technology and Artificial Intelligence.
“With the generous financial impetus, the Akwete weavers have been challenged to integrate AI in the areas of design and loom efficiency,’’ Onuigbo said.
He added: “As a widely travelled and elegant personality, the First Lady is also doing a bit of soft marketing, when she described Akwete as `very soft breathable cotton.
“The President’s wife was intoning the feasibility of the cloth for foreign patronage and global interest.”
It will be recalled that Mrs. Tinubu declared that Akwete craft is transferred from generation to generation and “it is a spiritual thing for the weavers’’.
“It is a sacred craft, a craft done with love, patience, endurance and it is something spiritual that should not be desecrated.
“I am here to tell all Nigerians and the Igbos to take Akwete to the nation,’’ the First Lady had said.
