Nigerian First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has unveiled the #OneNigeria/UnityFabric, a symbol of national unity and cultural diversity, which was designed by 25-year-old, Miss Mofinyinfoluwa Bamidele.
Bamidele, who went home with a cash prize of N25 million, emerged the winner of a fabric designs competition, organised by the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), chaired by First Lady Tinubu.
Her entry was picked as a winner from 111 entries.
The First Lady, in her keynote address at the unveiling of the #OneNigeria/UnityFabric and announcement of the winner of the competition, which was held on Monday, September 16, at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, explained that the concept of a national fabric was inspired by her visit to Zimbabwe in December 2023, where she saw a similar initiative.
She said the #OneNigeria/UnityFabric Competition was launched in February 2024, calling on youths aged 15-25 to create a design that would represent Nigeria’s unity.
A panel of judges, including renowned fashion icon Princess Zainab Abba Folawiyo and international textile fashion designer Miss Banke Kuku, selected the best design from 111 entries.
Mrs. Tinubu praised the rigorous selection process and thanked the judges and members of the Governing Board of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) for their efforts.
“Today, my heart is filled with joy as we have just witnessed the unveiling of the #OneNigeriaUnity Fabric, the announcement of the winner of the competition and the presentation of the prize ceremony. I say big congratulations to Miss Bamidele Mufiyinfoluwa, she did quite a fantastic job.
“I would like to briefly share the background of what led us to this moment. In December 2023, I visited Zimbabwe for the launch of #WeAreEqual Unifying Campaign of the Organization of the African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) on this visit, I came across the concept of a national fabric, which they, and this fascinated me.
“I believe this concept is a unifying one, where we can infuse our cultural diversity and break down tribal barriers to identify as a people of one nation. So I decided that it would be a good idea to have a similar experience.
“Upon my arrival, at one of the meetings of the Governing Council of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), I mooted the idea and to my surprise, everyone seemed excited about it. Thereafter, the #OneNigeriaUnity Fabric Competition was announced through various media platforms in February 2024, calling on all our youth between the ages of 15 to 25 to create a design for a fabric that will be launched as the national unity fabric.
“Entries for this competition closed on the 30th of June, 2024. On the 2nd of July, 2024, we invited two panelists; a renowned fashion icon, Princess Zainab Abba Folawiyo, who has been at the forefront of the fashion industry for 60 years, and Miss Banke Kuku, an international textile fashion designer. She’s the one who actually designed the gift scarves I give out because she’s a textile designer.
“Both of them, with members of the Governing Board, and some friends of RHI, had the task of selecting the best design from 111 entries. This selection process was rigorous, but today, we are happy to present the best design selected by our expert judges. Well done, and thank you”, she said.
Mrs. Tinubu also disclosed that the new national fabric would be worn across the country to celebrate the Independence Day Anniversary on October 1, 2024.
She said that the fabric will be mass-produced by local manufacturers; Sunflag Nigeria Limited in Lagos and BBY Multitrade Limited in Kano, to stimulate local industries, create jobs, and boost the economy.
The First Lady said the project aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, fostering creativity, supporting local enterprises, and celebrating national identity, even as she prayed that the fabric would bring joy, peace, love, prosperity, and unity to the nation as it moves forward.
“I would like to extend my gratitude to all those who sent in their entries. We received entries from Nigerians across the country, in the Diaspora, five of them are present today, which you all just met, apart from the winner.
“We also have a brochure of the compilation of all the entries. Every design submitted is a demonstration of the depth of talent we have in Nigeria. I applaud each one of you for your contribution. However, we can only have one winner, but I urge you not to relent in expressing your creativity, and imagination and nurturing your dreams and passion.
“The winning design was further worked upon by our renowned textile designer, Miss Banke Kuku, and on our part from the Renewed Hope Initiative team, we added the Nigerian coat of arms to make it truly a national fabric.
“As we showcase this design, our goal is to encourage local mass production of the unity fabric by two of our local manufacturers, namely Sunflag Nigeria Limited, Lagos, and BBY
Multitrade Limited Kano, making it accessible to all Nigerians.
“By mass-producing this fabric, we aim to stimulate local industries, create jobs and boost our economy. We envision this fabric will be used in national celebration events and daily lives, symbolizing unity, love and pride in our nation.
“This project aligns with our broader objectives of fostering creativity, supporting local enterprises and celebrating a national identity in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The fabric will be officially worn for our Independence Day celebration on the 1st of October, 2024, across the nation.
“I pray that this fabric will bring joy, peace, love, prosperity and unity to our nation as we move forward. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Also speaking at the event, the National Vice Chairman of the RHI and wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, said the fabric initiative is aimed at promoting unity and creativity in Nigeria.
She expressed pride in the realisation of the vision of the competition, which encourages Nigerians to think nationally before considering tribal or ethnic loyalties.
She said the initiative includes the production and distribution of 200,000 pieces of a national unity fabric, with significant allocations to Lagos, Kano, and Abuja, and additional pieces to other stakeholders.
The event was witnessed by dignitaries from across the country, including wives of governors, wives of the leaders of the National Assembly, and wives of security chiefs.
Others who were at the event were former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole; former First Ladies, including Mrs. Ajoke Muritala Muhammad; Justice Fati Lami Abubakar; and Dame Patience Jonathan.