Adeleke Approves Training Of 8,000 Youths In Adire Fabric Designs

-Set To Celebrate Adire Osun 2025 Festival

As part of the effort to empower young people through creative industry, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has approved the training of not less than 8,000 youths in Adire fabric designs.

The potential beneficiaries according to the governor would be selected across the 332 wards in the state.

New Telegraph report that the initiative is being anchored on the Adire Osun Festival, which the governor has declared an annual event to boost economy and promote Osun’s cultural heritage.

Speaking at the unveiling of the Adire Osun Festival 2025, yesterday, Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, said the festival will not only encourage youth participation in cultural activities but also attract tourists and create jobs, boosting the state’s economy.

“Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke has declared the Adire Osun Festival an annual event to promote the cultural and economic values of our great state. The festival will showcase the unique Adire textile, a symbol of Osun’s history and creativity,” Igbalaye said. “As Chief Creative Officer, the governor emphasizes the importance of documenting and supporting creativity in Osun State.”

The festival will feature a street show displaying colourful Adire fabrics, celebrating Osun’s rich culture and reclaiming Osogbo’s historical place as the source of Aro and Adire. “We are excited to transform Osun State into an entertainment hub of creativity and culture,” Igbalaye added.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Council for Arts and Culture, Ebenezer Adeniji, urged youths to explore the Adire business to enhance economic independence and strengthen the creative industry.

He said, “Empowering youth is essential for the future of our culture. Young people must be engaged as makers, designers, marketers, entrepreneurs, and cultural managers. Governor Adeleke’s approval to train 25 youths in each of the 332 wards is a welcome step. The training will combine technical skills with business mentorship, digital competence, and access to finance, ensuring practical and sustainable empowerment.”

According to him, this innovative, Osun State will become a major driver of youth empowerment and economic growth, outlining a bold plan to harness culture as a catalyst for opportunity and wealth creation.

Adeniji reiterated the festival’s theme, “Creating Wealth, Empowering Youths,” describing it not merely as a slogan, but as a strategic blueprint for transforming Osun’s cultural heritage into sustainable economic ventures.

The media briefing follows the unveiling of the festival’s official logo in December 2024 and builds anticipation for the grand Adire Carnival scheduled for December 2025. Adeniji described Adire as “far more than traditional fabric—a living archive that preserves the stories, identity, and creativity of the Yoruba people.”