By Collins Yakubu-Hammer
Abuja – Maimuna Abubakar, a fashion expert, has appealed to Federal Government to support indigenous designers with soft loans to boost the sector and create employment in the industry.
She made the called in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
She said “I want to urge Federal Government to support fashion designers across the country with soft loans to enable us to do more and create employment for youths and make them self reliant.
Abubakar, the publisher of Tozali (Eye liner) Magazine, said “we need to exploit the talent of Nigerian youths. If government supports fashion designers, I believe the talent in youths on fashion and arts can be exploited and they will become good entrepreneurs.
“It is important for youths to be independent without relying on or waiting for so-called white collar jobs.”
She also urged government to patronise works of indigenous designers.
Another fashion expert, Ms Diana Blackpearl, the Chief Executive Officer of ‘Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam’, said “Nigeria is blessed with bunch of talents.
“From our analysis, we have seen a lot of young talents in hand craft, arts and fashion design in Africa, especially in Nigeria.”
She explained that fashion designers in Nigeria periodically organise programmes to showcase their works and to encourage and promote young talents in Nigeria and Africa in general.
She added that “aside the display of talents in arts, music and designs from young Nigerians,we also invite designers from African countries so we can compare what we have on the continent.”
Abubakar, the publisher of Tozali Magazine, organised African Fashion and Cultural Week in Abuja from Sept. 14 to Sept. 16 to showcase African designers’ works by models on the run way, where designers from Nigeria and Ghana were featured.
Hauwa Katu, with her ‘Just Quilts’ design, Bilkisu Audi with her ‘B-Gorgeous’ designs and Maria Valhagan from Ghana with her ‘Maria Val Hagan’ designs were at the event.
Others included Aisha Suleiman with her ‘La-Dolce-Vita’ designs and a display of Younnass Collection by Soraya Haji.
Dignitaries that graced the event on Saturday night were Hajiya Asmau Yari, wife of the Zamfara Governor and her Kogi counterpart, Hajiya Aisha Bello.