Ghanaians have been implored to patronise Made-in-Ghana fabrics such as the northern smock to expand production.
The District Officer for the Centre for National Culture at Nadowli-Kaleo in the Upper West Region, Mr Mulumba Ngmenlabagna Songsore who made the call said it was essential for Ghanaians to support the local weaving industry which represented a viable aspect of the Ghanaian culture.
“Aside preserving the country’s culture and heritage, patronising the smock will enable weavers to maximise profit and also lead to job creation as more people will be attracted to the field if it is deemed lucrative”, he said during a meeting with leadership of the Weavers Association at Nadowli on Tuesday.
The meeting which saw the presence of representatives from 75 weaving outlets in the district was to, among other things, brainstorm innovative ways to attract market in order to expand production.
Mr Songsore explained that the meeting was in partial fulfilment of the mandate of the Centre to mobilise the artistic resources in the district and develop commercial potential for them.
“It is our duty to implement strategies for the appreciation, preservation and promotion of Ghanaian culture and arts hence the launch of the ‘Wear-Ghana’ campaign in the district”, he said.
He explained the campaign which had been taken to the various departments and offices was to trigger a mind change among workers in the formal sector to enable them to patronise more of the local fabric and wear them for official purposes in order to attract more clients.
“We are also promoting the sale of the fabric on the internet by creating online platforms to advertise the smock in order to reach Ghanaian indigenes abroad as well as potential foreign consumers”, he said.
He assured the weavers of the continuous support of his outfit for their vocation in order to enhance production and also improve upon their income.
“We will also provide local weavers with the necessary guidance and mentorship to ensure innovation in their craft while taking into consideration the taste and preferences of consumers with regards to the smocks they produced for sale”, he said.
Mr Songsore explained that those measures were being deployed to ensure that producers of the local fabric fit into the modern market and also earn tangible livelihood from their vocation.
He called on celebrities, media practitioners, business persons, politicians, among others, to use their influence and power to project the beauty of the Ghanaian fabric by patronising and wearing the smock frequently to encourage others to do same.
FROM LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, NADOWLI
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