The selection process for the winning entry of the #ONE NIGERIA/Unity Fabric has commenced.
This was disclosed by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at the commencement of the process, which was held at the State House, Abuja.
She noted that the quality of the entries shows the creative prowess of Nigerian youth.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu explained that the multiplier effect of the competition and having the National Fabric will be enormous for the nation’s economy. “By the time the winning design is selected, it will be produced locally. That will mean more jobs for local textile manufacturers. You will be surprised. What may look ordinary to you are the things that make the likes of Hermès, Louis Vuitton great.”
“You see, we are an NGO to start with, and I think what we have done, which is bringing business to our local economy, is good, and manufacturers are going to be from Nigeria. We did that during the campaign, so we believe that there will be job creation and money put into the system.”
The First Lady shared her experience with the “Governor for a Day” program during President Tinubu’s tenure as governor of Lagos State, where she encouraged participants to strive for the best rather than settling for second place.
“It is not that everybody cannot become; when you look at the days my husband was a governor, we were doing Governor for one day. I never encouraged deputy governor or anything, although they later injected it into the system. But you see, with the best, we can tell you success stories. They pushed even people who came third at the competition now making first class in school and also first class in law school and first class in other disciplines.”
“So, there will be people who will be first, second, and third in the design competition, but there will be only one winner. Even with the every home a garden competition, we are going for the best, so everyone should try.”
Also speaking at the meeting, two fashion industry experts serving as judges for the #OneNigeria/Unity Fabric competition, Hajia Abba Folawiyo and Banke Kuku, stated what they will be looking for.
“I will be looking for creativity, excitement, a design that brings together Nigerians, something that represents each tribe. I am also looking for potential and someone who has a passion and drive for textile designs.”
Banke Kuku emphasized the importance of the design’s ability to unite Nigerians and represent the country’s diversity. “The color is one thing; the color can always be changed. That’s why we have the panel of judges and other people coming into the competition to give advice. The color can be changed, but it’s really about the core design; you can always adapt the color and the uniqueness of the design.”
“I think it’s amazing. It opens people up to understanding that there’s a future and a career in creativity. It kind of brings seriousness to the creative industry because a lot of people are very strict on themselves to do certain types of jobs, but there’s such a huge career in creativity.
“There’s so much to be done in Nigeria in terms of … so the market is huge, and I’m looking forward to having influence over a younger generation because I know I have had a lot of support in my career, so it’s my time to help somebody else.”
The #ONE NIGERIA/Unity Fabric competition, which commenced in February and ended on the 30th of June, has a prize money of N20 million.
