..bemoans high cost of raw materials, infiltration of pirated products
Adire market leaders in Ogun State have lamented the difficulties faced by Adire producers in accessing raw materials, particularly cotton cloth.
They revealed that producers often travel as far as the East to source raw materials, a situation they described as “very, very sad”.
In a press conference held ahead of the week-long Adire Festival in Abeokuta on Monday, the Iyaloja of Kemta Adire Market, Mrs. Somodale Abike Akamo, said the challenges plaguing the adire industry poses a serious threat to the producers’ efforts in preventing the decline of the business in the country.
Akamo stated that while the industry battles with the influx of pirated adire by the Chines, the difficulties in having access to raw materials continues to be a big problem to the business.
She noted that many people are being deceived into buying these fake products, which are not only of inferior quality but also undermine the intellectual property of genuine Adire producers.
Akamo equally lamented that the influx of these pirated products is depriving many young graduates and breadwinners of their livelihood.
She said “In this industry, the major thing we use is cloths, cotton cloth, which presently we are not getting. It’s very, very hard for us to get the raw materials. We most of the time travel as far as East to get raw materials, which is very, very sad, because we are producers, we are not sellers.
“Another one I want to mention is the issue of this influx of pirated adire. They are look-alike, but it’s not Adire, it’s look-alike. The pirated one is not tie and dye, it’s just imitation of what we produce, imitation of what we use our own intellectual ability to produce.
“What they do is that they snap and take to the factory and produce. They are imitating our resourcefulness and making it to make money for themselves, to the detriment of so many young graduates, old, the, the, people who are breadwinners of respective homes. They are depriving them of that”, Akamo added.
Also, the one of the market leaders, Ogunfidodo Michael appealed to the government to intervene in ensuring that producers have access to affordable and readily available raw materials.
This, he believes, will go a long way in boosting the industry and ensuring its survival.
He said “We urge the government to take steps to protect our industry and prevent the sale of these fake products.It’s something, if government can come in to ensure that as a producer, we get our raw materials as affordable, as easy as possible, then it will go a long way to help us in ensuring that, yes, this industry is in greater and better shape”.
