The 3rd African Weaving Festival (AWeF 2025) kicks off this Friday at the Cyprian Ekwensi Cultural Centre in Abuja, highlighting Nigeria’s rich weaving heritage and promoting African culture globally.

Tijani Sheidu, AWeF’s Executive Director of Media and Publicity, said the festival seeks to:

• Position indigenous fabrics as instruments of national pride, economic empowerment, and cultural diplomacy.
• Boost tourism, creative industry growth, and entrepreneurship.
• Foster continental cooperation and cross-border cultural exchange.

This year’s edition, themed “African Indigenous Fabrics: A Tool for Culture Diplomacy and Unity,” is expected to host over 500,000 participants, including exhibitors, artists, researchers, and tourists from across Africa and the diaspora.

Key highlights include:

• Indigenous fabric exhibitions and loom weaving demonstrations
• Skill acquisition workshops and wellness product fairs
• Fashion runway showcasing local fabrics
• Symposium on fabric diplomacy
• Interior decoration displays and sales of local fabrics and accessories

Sheidu emphasized that the festival not only preserves African heritage but also strengthens the continent’s creative economy while providing artisans with global exposure and business opportunities.

The event has received strong support from government and institutional partners, with calls for more collaboration to sustain its growth and international visibility for Nigerian creatives.