The Osun State Government has reiterated that the 2025 Adire Osun Festival will serve as a major economic intervention for youths and creative workers, projecting the event as a new engine of wealth creation and cultural expansion for the state.
This was the central message on Monday at the World Media Conference held at the Governor’s Office in Osogbo, where senior government officials outlined the festival’s economic blueprint and its long-term impact on job creation, tourism, and creative enterprise.
Addressing journalists, the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, said the festival is being positioned as an annual platform to strengthen Osun’s creative economy and deepen support for artisans, designers, and young entrepreneurs across the state.
He noted that the festival is expected to stimulate business activities, attract tourists and open new market opportunities for Adire producers.
According to him, the 2025 edition will feature major events such as the Adire Osun Ambassadors Launch, Adire Fashion Couture, Adire Export Summit, and the colourful Adire Osun Street Carnival, all designed to showcase the state’s cultural identity while driving economic participation.
Also speaking, Hon. Tunde Laface, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Creative Economy, said the festival has already recorded significant impact, empowering over 1,000 creatives, including Adire makers, craftsmen, fashion designers, and accessory producers, during its developmental phase.
He described the festival as a deliberate state strategy to expand creative engagement, employment and youth empowerment.
Laface also provided a detailed outline of the December 20 carnival, which will move through major streets of Osogbo with iconic Yoruba cultural floats, live bands, DJs and a night-long concert at Freedom Park.
He added that the Adire Osun Export Summit, slated for December 19, will expose local artisans to global trade opportunities and strengthen the state’s presence in the international textile market. Security, medical services and traffic control for the festival would be coordinated by relevant agencies, he assured.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Council for Arts and Culture, Hon. Ebenezer Adeniji, said the theme of the festival, “Creating Wealth, Empowering Youths”, captures the state’s commitment to transforming cultural heritage into sustainable income for its people.
Adeniji noted that Adire is both an artistic identity and an economic asset, stressing that the state government has begun a structured training programme for 25 youths in each of the 332 wards.
He urged stakeholders and the media to help create visibility that will promote artisans, strengthen the value chain and attract investment into the creative sector.
