Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has declared the Adire Osun Festival an annual event aimed at promoting the cultural and economic values of the state.

Unfolding activities for the 2025 festival year at a press conference in Osogbo on Monday, the Secretary to the State Government, Hon. Teslim Igbalaye, said the programme is expected to promote Osun’s rich culture and traditions, as well as reclaim Osun’s historical place in Osogbo as the source of Aro and Adire.

According to him, the Adire Osun Festival 2025, which will feature a street show of various colourful Adire fabrics, will showcase the unique Adire textile as a symbol of Osun history and creativity.

Igbalaye, who emphasised the importance of documenting and supporting creativity in Osun State, stated that the festival will not only boost the state’s economy but also engage young people in cultural activities, promoting productivity and creativity.

Earlier in his address, the chairman of the Council for Arts and Culture, Hon Ebenezer Adeniji, who disclosed that the festival will be held in December, said the theme for the 2025 Adire Osun Festival is “Creating Wealth, Empowering Youths”.

He charged investors and policymakers to support initiatives that place value on culture as an economic good and enjoined the general public to wear their Adire with pride, not only as an ornament, but as a mark of solidarity with the artisans and young entrepreneurs whose hands shape the shared future.

Adeniji charged journalists to help tell stories that reflect dignity, complexity, and possibility, saying: “When you cover an artisan fairly, you open markets. When you highlight a youth-led enterprise, you inspire replication. When you tell the full story of a value chain, you invite partners”.