As part of effort to better market locally produced goods for both Nigerians in diaspora and foreigners using online platforms, the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has started driving tripartite partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).
The establishment of NIPOST e-Commerce coupled with creativity of Nigerians with usage of locally produced fabrics such as Adire, tie and dye fabric, to produce clothes, bags, shoes, wall paintings, souvenirs, among others, has prompted the proposal of NIPOST to partner with NACCIMA and NEPC for easy online marketing, designed for exports of Nigerian brands to various countries of the world.
Speaking at the unveiling of Ogun Seal of Authenticity in Abeokuta, state capital on Thursday, Adebisi Adegbuyi, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer of NIPOST, declared that “e-Commerce is growing exponentially” and Nigeria as a country must adopt it to market locally produced goods, especially to market all the products manufactured out of African creativity and culture in order to further showcase Nigerian products and culture to the world.
He said, “You will recall that JUMIA was listed on New York Stock Exchange last week, that tells us that e-commerce is growing exponentially and we (Nigeria) must get Nigerians to benefit immensely from this. We suggest a collaboration between NIPOST, NACCIMA and NEPC, because through e-commerce platform, we (NIPOST) deliver goods and parcels all over the world.”
Yewande Amusan, Senior Consultant on Culture and Tourism to Governor of Ogun state, noted that the Federal Government has picked Adire Ogun as the main local fabric to drive local production of fabrics in Southwest, Nigeria, saying there would soon be a national launch of local fabric production and usage in Southwest to be organised by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
“Due to an aggressive drive for usage of locally produced goods, especially for local fabrics the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has chosen as a clothing brand to drive flag-off of local fabric production and usage in Southwest”, she said.
But, Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state, who organised the launch of Adire Ogun Seal on behalf of the Ogun State Government and People said ” Ogun state has become cynosure of eyes and Adire has become our cultural symbol in Ogun state and all Yoruba of Southwest, Nigeria.
“The seal we are launching today will authenticate the originality of Adire from Abeokuta in Ogun state. It lays a solid foundation for Adire to take its place of pride among African fabrics. I would recommend Adire to all garment makers across the world. This is nothing in this world that you use Adire for that Adire cannot fit in, be it clothes, bags, shoes, wall paintings, souvenirs and other things.”
RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta
