As preparations for the debut edition of the Face of Nigeria Fashion Festival (FONFEST) gathers momentum, both the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) have thrown their weight behind the Fashion festival.

The Executive Director and CEO NEPC, Mr. Segun Awolowo, and the Director General NCAC, Otumba Olusegun Ronsewe, pledged their full support for FONFEST 2017 when the organisers of the fashion festival paid them presentation visits in Abuja, respectively.

Speaking during a visit to his office by the organisers led by Mr. Charles Ozoemena, the Executive Director NEPC, Mr. Segun Awolowo, commended the initiative saying “NEPC will support you because FONFEST is in line with the desire of the present administration not only to promote ‘Made in Nigeria’ products but also diversify the economy through non-oil products”

He commended All Times Promotions, organisers of the festival, for choosing to host the programme in Abuja, shifting attention away from Lagos to cover the Northern fashion market.  He observed that Japan, China other Asian countries are controlling about 75 percent of the international fashion market, imploring Nigerians to rise-up to the challenge of producing and patronizing Nigerian products, as well as competing in exports.

Receiving the delegation in his office, the Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otumba Olusegun Ronsewe declared full support for FONFEST, saying “For this fashion festival, we will give you our full support to ensure it’s a huge success”.  

Looking at the state of the nation’s textile industry, he called on Nigerians to patronize Made in Nigeria fashions and textiles and look Nigerian.

“In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), you hardly see a UAE citizen wearing suits. Even if they wear suits, they will still put on their long robe and scarf” he admonished.

Ronsewe observed that some of the textile mills in Nigeria have begun to relocate to Ethiopia, citing examples with United Textile Mill and Arewa Textile Mill. “The name Arewa Textile Mill has now been changed to Domino Textile Mill”, he said regrettably.

He revealed plans by the NCAC to come out with a National Dress Code, in addition to recommending the use of local fabrics, such as Ankara for school uniform in Nigeria. While revealing that NCAC has a big plan for the cultural sector, he urged Nigerians to be proud of the Nigerian culture as there is no country in the world that makes a major impact in global arena without a brand identity. “Brand Identity can never come up without a culture”, he stressed.

The Face of Nigeria Fashion Festival (FONFEST) is a three day fashion fiesta, comprising of exhibitions, ‘Wear Nigeria, eNjoy Nigeria’ Road-Walk, Conference and Fashion Shows. The festival aims at showcasing Made-in-Nigeria fashions and fabrics for the purposes of stimulating local and international patronage. The idea is to create an annual platform for celebrating not only Nigeria’s textiles and apparels but also stimulating local market for Nigeria’s fashion designers