Multiple award-winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will be wearing made-in-Nigeria brands to promote the local fashion industry.
In a post she made on her Facebook page May 8th, the U.S.-based author said she will be wearing Nigerian designs to most of her public appearances to actively promote made-in-Nigerian products and support the “Buy Nigerian To Grow the Naira” campaign:
In the past few weeks, I’ve bought more Nigerian brands than I ever have in the past. I’ve discovered new names. I’ve been filled with admiration for the women and men running their businesses despite the many challenges they face.
I’m particularly interested in ‘inward-looking’ brands, those for whom dressing Nigerian women is as important as other goals.
Adichie. Photo credit: Pinterest
The “Half of a Yellow Sun” author went on to explain what she loves about Nigerian-made designs:
I’ve changed quite a few dodgy zippers, been disappointed by some poor quality fabrics, and been impressed by some detail-oriented finishing.
Overall, I love the clothes, their cut, their whimsy, their color, their flair, their ability to make me feel like myself. Their makers, from designer to tailor to button-fixer to okada-delivery-person, deserve to be supported.
Adichie. Photo credit: Fab Magazine
The “Buy Nigerian To Grow the Naira” campaign is a government-backed initiative meant to promote the local consumption of made-in-Nigeria products and stimulate growth in one of Africa’s largest economies.
In recent months, Nigeria has been hit by a recession described by experts as the worst in decades.
Adichie, whose appearances in her made-in-Nigeria outfits will be documented on a newly created Instagram page managed by her nieces Chisom and Amaka, blamed the Nigerian government’s “disastrous economic policy” for the current recession.
She, however, expressed optimism in the “Buy Nigerian To Grow the Naira” campaign, which she described as a silver lining with the potential to improve the country’s fortunes.
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