Aregbesola Launches ‘Ijinle’ To Preserve Heritage

In a bid to preserve cultural heritage in Osun state, the state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on launched a social enterprise project “Ijinle”.

Ijinle is a social enterprise project geared towards preserving vintage Yoruba Tailoring.

The Governor was represented by the Special Adviser on Enterprise and Wealth Creation, Hon. Ademola Akintoyese made this known at the launch of Ijinle held at Lagos, created to empower youths, create jobs and provide a platform for the younger generation to appreciate the beauty in the eroding Yoruba culture.

Narrating that the genesis of Ijinle, Aregbesola said the idea was born out of passion for sustainability and preservation of heritage traditional clothing sew in modern style.

He further explained that fifteen youths were selected from Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme OYES to get intensive training from legendary Kabiru Durojaye, a 56 year-old veteran tailor and custodian of authentic Yoruba wears craftsmanship for over 30 years, supported by Ms. Muinat Atunnise of Atunnise Clothiers as project manager, and that the training will be for 5 months.

The Governor added that the trainees through the internship will fuse both old and new contemporary attires for older and younger generation, and serve bigger market, while the government will facilitate business development services of the trainees to viable production cluster and that relevant agencies with the help of the facilitators will use manpower and enterprise to generate income for the state.

He affirmed government’s plans to establish the successful selected trainees from various local government areas of the state, in different locations across the state of Osun, to continue to create beautiful works locally, nationally and internationally, while also generating income for the state and themselves.

In his goodwill message, the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme OYES Commandanté, Col. Enibukun Oyewole Rtd. while charging the trainees to utilize the skills being taught judiciously, reiterated that there is power in skills and being an O’YES cadet is a plus in life based on the unquantified experience.

He stated that 42,000 O’YES cadets did the scheme, and he congratulated the selected O’YES cadets for Ijinle project, and urged them not to waste the talent giving to them but to build on it, pass down the knowledge, have good entrepreneurial skill, keep to time of delivery to customers and above all, not to disappoint the Governor of the State of Osun for investing in them, and he prayed success and prosperity on the skills acquired.

The Commandanté congratulated Governor Rauf Aregbesola for the giant stride accomplished in Empowerment of youths in the State of Osun in line with his Six Points Integral Action Plan, through eliminating poverty from the lives of the youths and the state.

It can be recalled that in year 2012, as part of the government efforts to revamp the textile industry, the State of Osun government partnered Sam and Sara company to establish Omoluabi garment factory, to produce international standard and ideal uniform for state owned public schools students, hence Ijinle project in garment creation is another success for job creation in clothing for participants of O’YES scheme.

Other dignitaries at the event included Mr. Kikiowo Ileowo, aide to Governor Aregbesola as Head of Strategic Communication Unit, Policy and Economic Development among others.

The Ijinle project trainees will be trained in the professional making of Dasiki/Kembe, Dasiki/Kembe/Agbada, Buba/Agbada/Kembe, Buba To’ Bo/Agbada Alabe/Agba dasi, Dasiki lite, Agbada lite, and Buba Sokoto premium.