Osun State is positioning its creative economy for national and global attention as the government formally announces the Adire Osun Festival, an annual cultural showcase designed to celebrate heritage, attract tourism, and stimulate local enterprise.
At the official launch of the historic cultural event, Governor Adeleke enjoined all Creatives in Osun State to follow his lead by logging on the platform for detailed profiling and documentation to adequately position for government patronage and necessary support.
The unveiling of Official Logo of the Adire Osun Festival signifies the official launch of state government initiative in promoting the creative industries in Osun.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Tunde Laface, a legend in Nigeria’s Creative Industry and the Senior Special Assistant to the Osun State Governor on Creative Economy, Events and Entertainment, laid emphasis on the strategic roles, entertainment and Creativity played in the emergence of Governor Adeleke and in cementing his position, as the most outstanding and most popular Governor in Nigeria.
He emphatically referenced the Osun State Creative Industry as the major backbone of the Adire Osun Festival and with the assurance of the support of Governor Adeleke as the pivotal driver of the project, Adire Osun Festival is set to transform Osun State into an Entertainment Hub of Creativity and Culture in Nigeria.
Speaking in Osogbo, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye, said the December festival is part of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s strategy to document, preserve and commercialise the state’s creative assets—especially the iconic Adire textile, a centuries-old craft deeply woven into Osun’s identity.
According to Igbalaye, Governor Adeleke has approved the event as a yearly celebration that will “strengthen cultural pride, empower young creators, and boost the state’s economic footprint.”
He noted that Adire is more than fabric—it is a living cultural archive representing the ingenuity, resilience and artistic excellence of the Osun people.
Cultural Heritage as Economic Currency
The festival will serve dual purposes: the preservation of traditional craft and the creation of economic opportunities. The government says the initiative will unlock fresh value through:
- Tourism inflows
- Job creation across the creative value chain
- Youth innovation and enterprise
- Export potential for textile artisans
- Reinforcement of Osun’s cultural brand equity
Igbalaye added that showcasing Adire on a global stage positions Osun to attract investors and creative collaborations from fashion houses, textile buyers, art foundations and cultural institutions.
Creative Economy as the New Growth Frontier
Chairman of the Osun Council for Arts and Culture, Ebenezer Adeniji, emphasised that the festival is not merely an exhibition of colours and patterns, but a narrative engine capable of reshaping perception, driving demand, and building a new creative-led economy.
“Adire Osun is a story—of who we were, who we are, and who we can become,” Adeniji said.
He added that culture is a viable form of economic diversification for states seeking alternative revenue streams, noting that investing in young creative talents is equivalent to investing in long-term community resilience.
Adeniji described Adire as “an instrument of identity, a generator of jobs, and a promise that heritage will power the prosperity of future generations rather than remain a relic of the past.”
With culture increasingly recognised as a global economic force, Osun’s move places the state in a strong position to transform creativity into sustainable development.
