Zara Eniola Oladega, Managing Director of Zara Eniola Limited, has voiced significant concern over the saturation of the Nigerian market with foreign fabrics, warning that the current imbalance is accelerating job losses and deepening the national economic downturn.

Speaking with newsmen, Oladega highlighted that foreign-produced clothing has secured a strong foothold due to Nigeria’s inability to develop its textile and garment industries for large-scale production.

She identified several systemic bottlenecks, including chronic inconsistent power supply, high operational costs, and limited access to modern manufacturing technology, which make local production significantly more expensive than imported alternatives.

Oladega noted that many competing nations benefit from well-developed industrial sectors, advanced technology, and lower operating costs, allowing them to produce apparel at prices local manufacturers struggle to match.

She also pointed to the issue of consumer perception, where imported clothing is often viewed as superior, and the widespread availability of second-hand garments, which further undermines the domestic market.

To revitalize the sector, Oladega called for a dual-track approach involving both legislative action and industry-led innovation.

She urged the government to prioritize the textile value chain through infrastructural development, manufacturing incentives, and strengthened border controls to regulate the influx of second-hand goods.

From an industry perspective, she emphasized the need for modern technology, improved local sourcing of raw materials, and a focus on craftsmanship.

She asserted that when local brands offer high-quality products that reflect Nigerian culture, consumers will naturally develop confidence in home-grown brands.

Ultimately, Oladega remains optimistic that with the right support, Nigeria’s talent and market size can transform the sector into a formidable global competitor.

Founder of the Egbaliganza movement, Aare (Dr) Lai Labode has announced “Irin Akinkanju,” the formal celebration of Egba heroes, as the centerpiece of 2026 Egbaliganza’s showing at the 39th annual Lisabi Festival.

Speaking during a press conference in Abeokuta on Tuesday, Lai Labode explained that Irin Akinkanju will formally honour sons and daughters of Egbaland whose contributions have shaped the way of life of the Egba people and whose exploits have carried the Egba name onto national and continental stages.

The business mogul and fashion entrepreneur also used the opportunity to provide clarity on the relationship between the annual Lisabi Festival and the intercontinental fashion showpiece, Egbaliganza.

Stressing that the two cannot be fully understood apart from each other, Labode described the synergy between the Lisabi and Egbaliganza as

“Egbaliganza is the cultural creative engine of the Lisabi Festival, the platform through which the festival’s heritage finds contemporary expression. The relationship between the Lisabi Festival and Egbaliganza is one that the platform’s own language has always described clearly: Lisabi is the root. Egbaliganza is the fruit. The root holds the memory. The fruit carries the seed outward, to new ground, new audiences, new conversations. Every young Egba person who first encountered the Lisabi Festival through an Egbaliganza image or a livestream is a testament to what this relationship produces. Every member of the diaspora who booked a flight home to attend is proof that the fruit is reaching places the root alone could not.”

Providing further clarity, he said the legendary liberator Lisabi Agbongboakala remains the foundation of the festival’s memory while Egbaliganza acts as the creative engine carrying that heritage into new markets, contemporary fashion, and international conversations.

He also added that this strategic approach has led to the successful securing of official Federal Government recognition for the Lisabi Festival through the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy.

This national status reinforces the festival’s economic ambitions, which include a $2 million diaspora investment pipeline and a framework designed to elevate Africa’s fashion valuation toward a $500 billion target.

Scheduled for March 28 in Abeokuta, the programme will sit alongside the Walk of Heroes and Walk of Kings, two of the confirmed ceremonial segments of Egbaliganza 2026, which honour legacy, leadership, and historical continuity within Egba society and across the participating cultures.

By placing these local legacies before delegations from over 50 nations, including Bangladesh, Uganda, and the Philippines, Irin Akinkanju transforms a local recognition into a global statement of identity.

The initiative is presented as a replicable model for how African communities can take their own cultural heritage seriously, moving beyond performance to build a structured platform for creative industry.

Through programs like the Egba Fashion Club and the “Oja Egbaliganza” showcasing 4,000-year-old attire, the event aims to prove that indigenous culture can be a viable driver for modern career paths and national tourism.