Lagos Set To Host ‘Ankara Festival’ Carnival
Chinyere Ikem, LAGOS/ The Lagos State Government in its bid to formulate a tourism policy has called on Nigerians to fully embrace Ankara culture which has been in existence since 19th century, as an essential part of the culture, self-expression and social life.
The concept was coming on the heels of the symbolic and unique cultural values, using Ankara fabrics to portray cultural heritage, which was a unique tourism legacy by looking inwards and developing ideas that foreigners have imbibed from us as a people, one of such ideas is the Lagos Ankara Festival project, LAAFEST.National Convener of the
LAAFEST, Wole Oladunjoye said Ankara has become a household name in Africa, as the fabrics has been glamorized and made prominent by Nigerians, who adorn it for various purposes in exceptionally creative ways.
Oladunjoye said the versatile nature and the economic viability of the ‘Ankara fabric’ is“mind boggling” and it can be used to make various items such as hats, earrings, bangles, upholstery, chairs, shoes amongst others.
He stated that the ‘Ankara’ market in Lagos was worth over N1 billion monthly and the birth of the Lagos ‘Ankara Festival’ would quadruple the income generation in its first three years.
According to him, “the history of the African fabric popularly known across the world as ‘Ankara’ spans over centuries across three continents, bridging various power structures.
“Though strongly associated with West Africa and in particular Nigerian culture, ‘Ankara’ fabrics were brought into Africa as cheap mass produced limitations of Indonesian batik fabric locally produced in Java.“Ankara has become overwhelmingly popular in the global fashion scene and has also become a fashionable summer wear across the world; it is primarily associated with Africa because of tribal like patterns and motifs which has gradually become a representation of that culture”.
National LAAFEST Coordinator further stressed that “Ankara has become our story, form of social expression and has come to stay as every party is not complete without Ankara, the Caribbean and Brazilians have built a great Carnival Culture using there bright, colourful patterned fabrics and way of life as a focal point to attracting millions of tourists annually to the biggest carnivals in the World”.Laudable initiatives
He explained that the heartbeat of the textile manufacturing revolution in Africa is in Lagos with a Cosmopolitan population of over 23 million people, “so why not Lagos Ankara Festival in Lagos?”The idea of Lagos ‘Ankara’ Festival, LAAFEST which was scheduled for November this year was borne out of the need to create laudable initiatives to support Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s unparalleled vision for making Lagos the entertainment and tourism capital of Africa.It is also designed to propagate the Nigerian culture “globally” leveraging on the popular‘Ankara’ brand.
Babatunde Laface, the coordinator of the Ankara carnival said that the carnival will promote our culture and the economy.
Ankara is now part and parcel of every household in Nigerian, we all should abide and abduct it as our inheritage and promote it . Let us sell our colour to the world through Ankara fabrics
The assistant director, Lagos state art and culture,Oluwasmi Folaka, said it is a laudable event that will engage youth in creative.
It will a kind of empowerment to lagosian . Everyone need to be involved and carry along so that it can colourful to the world.
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