Engr. Chinedu Onyeizu has hailed the Aba Fashion Week as a powerful catalyst for economic development, describing the event as a clear demonstration of Aba’s rising influence as a regional hub for creativity, enterprise, and industrial growth.
Onyeizu said the fashion showcase proved once again that Aba’s creative industry is not only vibrant but rapidly evolving into a globally competitive ecosystem capable of driving large-scale economic expansion. He noted that the platform has enabled designers, artisans, models, and fashion entrepreneurs to project indigenous innovation to wider national and international markets.
Commending the organisers led by convener Ugomdi Ogbonna, Onyeizu said Aba Fashion Week is “proudly Aba” both in concept and execution. He praised the event for reflecting the ingenuity, resilience, and business-minded spirit that define the people of Aba, adding that such platforms demonstrate the city’s developmental potential.
He further linked the growing success of Aba’s fashion economy to the infrastructural transformation under Governor Alex Otti. Speaking on the remodelling of the Ekeoha-Aba Shopping Centre, Onyeizu said the modernised complex will reestablish Aba as the anchor of Africa’s textile market by providing world-class production, distribution, and export facilities.
“The rebirth of Ekeoha-Aba will be a game-changer for the entire African textile value chain. It will boost the fashion industry, create thousands of jobs, and firmly establish Aba as a continental centre for textile trade and innovation,” he said.
The energy expert and development advocate stressed that the creative sector remains a vital engine for economic diversification and youth empowerment. He called for increased support from government, private investors, and development partners for initiatives like Aba Fashion Week, noting that sustainable investment and strategic partnerships are key to unlocking Aba’s full industrial and creative potential.
Onyeizu encouraged the organisers to sustain the momentum, describing Aba Fashion Week as a critical developmental platform for talent incubation, brand expansion, cultural promotion, and economic growth.
Aba Fashion Week continues to gain national recognition as one of the fastest-growing creative and industrial showcases in the South-East, reaffirming the city’s heritage of craftsmanship while projecting a bold, innovation-driven future for its emerging textile and fashion economy.
