Africans are most fashionable people in the whole world ― Jimi Solanke

Renowned Nigerian Film actor and Playwright, Jimi Solanke has described Africans as the most fashionable people in the whole world.

The folk singer said that Africans have been making fabrics right from their ancestors, noting that the fabrics are getting more relevant now.

Solanke said this at the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization’s (CBAAC) 2021 Public Lecture entitled: African Hairstyles, Dress Culture and Fashion in contemporary times, held on Tuesday in Ibadan.

He identified African fabrics like Kente, Adire, Aso-oke, and many more, adding that they are being used all over the world.

The Industry Veteran, therefore, appreciated the promoters of African culture churning out strategies to assist the younger persons to develop an interest in the area of fashion.

“Africans are the most fashionable people in the whole world.

“From our ancestors, we have been making fabrics.

“And these fabrics are getting more important now.

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“Can you imagine the kinds of fabrics like Kente, Adire, Aso-oke, and many more? Now, we own the Ankara styles. I still see it in pictures.

“They are using a lot of these African fabrics all over the world.

“I really want to appreciate those who are churning out strategies to assist the younger persons to develop an interest in the area of fashion,” he said.

Speaking also, The Director-General, CBAAC, Mrs Olubunmi Amao, explained that lack of proper skills and knowledge for packaging cultural/creative goods, lack of skills for digital networking and marketing strategies, inability to keep up with current trends identified as issues bedevilling the industry propelled the public lecture.

Amao further explained that the Agency is using the medium to give proper and adequate attention to the endeavours by deploying effective strategies to fully develop them as small and medium enterprises for socio-economic development.

“We discovered that some of the issues bedevilling the aforementioned industries include lack of proper skills and knowledge for packaging cultural/creative goods, lack of skills for digital networking and marketing strategies, inability to keep up with current trends.

“It is against this backdrop and in furtherance of her mandate of promoting African culture in its totality that CBAAC is hosting a public lecture on African hairstyles, dress culture and fashion as sources of economic empowerment and instrument of cultural diplomacy.

“We are using this lecture to give proper adequate attention to these endeavours by deploying effective strategies to fully develop them as small and medium enterprises for socio-economic development,” she said.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE