The Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Biodun Ajiboye, has called on Nigerians to prioritize locally made products as a way to address the nation’s economic challenges. Speaking in Abuja ahead of the upcoming national craft fiesta, Ajiboye emphasized the need to reduce reliance on imports and support Nigeria’s cultural economy.
Ajiboye highlighted the role of the local economy in solving immediate challenges, noting that many items Nigerians import are already produced within the country. “We need to stimulate our local cultural economy,” he stated. “Our cultural economy can do a lot for us because it can solve the immediate problem. There are so many things we use locally, but we import them. Whereas we do not need to import at all.”
He reflected on Nigeria’s history of locally produced textiles, where people once created and wore handwoven clothes, and expressed concern that the influx of foreign-made clothing has undermined this traditional industry. “We kill that industry when the tailors come. Of course, the tailors cannot take us further than they have taken us. We are back to where we ought to have been,” he remarked.
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Ajiboye outlined the objectives of the craft fiesta, which aims to revive Nigeria’s creative economy by engaging and promoting artisans across the country, especially in rural areas. “We want to take this to the grassroots and see how we can motivate them to be proud of what they make,” he said. The initiative aims to foster local pride, boost the economy, and contribute to GDP growth.
The program will spotlight 20 artisans from each of Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas, selecting those whose crafts are particularly recognized and valued. Ajiboye noted that previous support for artisans has been limited but stressed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is committed to creating a conducive environment for local artisans to thrive.
The craft fiesta will run in six editions across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones throughout 2025, each lasting one week. It will provide a platform for artisans to showcase their work, opening doors to the global market. NICO, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, leads this initiative to mobilize Nigeria’s arts and crafts sector, bringing it to the forefront of international recognition.
At the heart of the nationwide craft fiesta are Nigeria’s talented artisans, whom NICO aims to celebrate and promote on a global scale. “We want to create a sense of pride in the local creative industry,” Ajiboye said, reiterating NICO’s commitment to the made-in-Nigeria project and the upliftment of Nigeria’s cultural economy.
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