Designer advises FG on more investment in fashion industry

Esther Umeonwujiobi, Chief Executive Officer, House of Nenye, on Monday advised the Federal Government to further invest in the Nigerian fashion industry in 2022, to make the nation a global fashion hub.

Esther, a fashion designer, who bagged The Most Outstanding Fashion Stylist of 2021 by the Nigeria Choice Awards gave the advice while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

She said the Nigerian fashion industry had grown over the years but the nation still needed to focus on its multi-talented fashion designers who lacked materials to work.

She advised the Federal Government to invest in equipping the local fashion designers with the needed materials and machines needed in their industry.

She noted that exposing some talented designers to trainings where they could acquire expertise to compete favourably with their colleagues in other climes was another form of investment the FG should engage in.

According to her, these investments would go a long way in repositioning the industry in 2022 to gain global attention.

” Nigeria is not doing bad in the fashion world but considering the huge number of talented fashion designers I have seen, a lot could still be done to fully explore the potential in that Industry.

” To be able to fully maximise the opportunities in the industry and considering the untapped talents the nation is endowed with, the Federal Government can look in that direction and help fashion designers with working tools and further trainings.

” We will be recording greater achievements in the industry going forward,” she said.

Umeonwujiobi, a graduate of Zoology also doubles as a dancer who had worked with notable choreographers, dance directors and had represented the nation in various international competitions.

She however lamented the poor pay Nigerian dancers get, urging the Guild of Nigerian Dance Professionals (GOND) to wade into this.

She said the quality of life of every Nigerian dancer must be improved upon in the coming year.