Economy
Importation of Adulterated Adire Fabric Worries Ogun Govt
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Ogun State government has expressed worry over the inflow of adulterated Adire fabric into the country, especially from China.
The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Ogun State, Mr Fagbayi Oluwasesan, speaking during the annual Ecobank Adire Lagos Experience in Lagos, said the government has taken steps to address the issue.
According to him, the fake fabric poses a major threat to the local Adire industry, noting that, “The Ogun State House of Assembly has commenced steps, through our ministry, to curb the excesses or inflow of Chinese adulterated fabric.”
“The fabric is synonymous with Ogun state. We are the custodians of Adire. It is an indigenous textile from Ogun State and we have to protect it. That’s why we are happy with Ecobank for what they’re doing today, assisting us to showcase what God has given to us, protecting it, and also telling the world that this is what is good for us to be using as fabric,” he stated.
“First and foremost, we don’t need to address it as Adire Chinese. It is never Adire because it is a print on its own that doesn’t pass through the process of how the fabric is made. The original fabric is made manually, and it passes through nine stages before it is made,” the Commissioner added.
On his part, Ecobank Nigeria restated its commitment to ensuring that Nigeria’s Adire industry leverages the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
The Executive Director for Commercial Banking at Ecobank Nigeria, Mr Kola Adeleke, said the bank was committed to helping businesses exhibiting at the fair to explore opportunities available through the Africa trade pact.
“After the program, these 100 merchants, we are going to continue partnering with them. We are going to support them to build capacity. We are going to even use the opportunity for them to improve the quality of whatever they are producing for export purposes. Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that Adire becomes like an African brand with global acclaim.
“This is very unique for us as an organization because it will help to grow our nation’s economy as we see the export potential there.
“We are going to profile all these merchants on the Ecobank single market trade hub and then position them so that they will be able to export their products to other countries in Africa and beyond,” he said.
Mr Adeleke noted that the Adire Lagos exhibition was part of the efforts of the bank to support and project the creative industry in the country, adding that as part of a Pan African bank which operates in 33 countries of Africa, Ecobank Nigeria will always look out to support various productive initiatives and the Adire exhibition fits into this goal.
“We are working on that and a committee has been set up with the approval of the Governor that they should go to the market, you know, look at what we can do and come up with a law, probably, though we may not have the capacity to ban it outrightly.
“We’re also taking it up with the National Assembly; the Representative Abeokuta South Federal Constituency has also raised a Bill at the National Assembly that has passed its second reading now.
“By the time that is done probably we will have the backing of the federal government in banning this adulterated fabric out rightly,” the banker said.
By Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited ended the first trading session of the week on a positive note after it chalked up 0.66 per cent on Monday.
The gains recorded yesterday were boosted by the 3.42 per cent rise by the insurance sector, the 1.44 per cent surge by the banking index, and the 1.30 per cent leap by the industrial goods counter. They offset the 0.20 per cent loss posted by the energy sector and a 0.11 per cent decline suffered by the consumer goods industry.
Consequently, the All-Share Index (ASI) closed higher by 1,273.78 points to 196,263.55 points from 194,989.77 points, and the market capitalisation appreciated by N805 billion to N125.969 trillion from N125.164 trillion.
Business Post observed that investor sentiment turned bearish during the session after Customs Street ended with 34 price losers and 33 price gainers, representing a negative market breadth index.
Fortis Global Insurance gained 10.00 per cent to trade at 66 Kobo, Okomu Oil expanded by 10.00 per cent to N1,605.60, Fidson rose by 9.90 per cent to N95.50, NPF Microfinance Bank rose by 9.89 per cent to N6.89, and Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank jumped 9.84 per cent to N17.30.
On the flip side, The Initiates weakened by 10.00 per cent to N17.55, Deap Capital deflated by 9.97 per cent to N6.86, LivingTrust Mortgage Bank went down by 9.92 per cent to N5.90, Multiverse lost 9.92 per cent to close at N22.70 per cent, and Ellah Lakes shrank by 9.77 per cent to N11.55.
Yesterday, market participants traded 1.3 billion shares worth N31.5 billion in 95,091 compared with the 820.5 million shares valued at N28.3 billion in 63,507 deals last Friday, indicating an increase in the trading volume, value, and number of deals by 58.44 per cent, 11.31 per cent, and 49.73 per cent apiece.
Japaul ended the session as the busiest stock after selling 474.0 million units worth N2.0 billion, Chams traded 51.5 million units for N221.3 million, Jaiz Bank exchanged 48.3 million units for N566.9 million, Secure Electronic Technology transacted 46.3 million units worth N68.8 million, and Mutual Benefits sold 42.5 million units valued at N242.5 million.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The first trading day in the currency market in Nigeria ended bearish for the Naira as its value further weakened against the US Dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Monday by N2.92 or 0.22 per cent to N1,349.24/$1 from the N1,346.32/$1 it was traded last Friday.
Also in the spot market, the Nigerian currency depreciated against the Pound Sterling by N6.62 during the trading day to close at N1,821.87/£1 versus the preceding session’s N1,815.25/£1, and lost N6.80 on the Euro to settle at N1,591.42/€1, in contrast to the previous rate of N1,584.62/€1.
At the GTBank forex desk, the Nigerian Naira crashed against the greenback yesterday by N1 to quote at N1,357/$1 versus the preceding session’s closing value of N1,356/$1, but in the black market, the Naira appreciated by N5 to close at N1,365/$1 compared with the preceding trading day’s N1,370/$1.
The Naira slide came amid renewed pressure as weekly inflows declined, as Bureaux De Change (BDC) operators were unable to purchase Dollars from banks two weeks after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) reopened the official FX Market window to them.
It had been expected that BDCs would help to further deflate the parallel market premium, but according to reports, BDC operators had yet to commence FX purchases from commercial banks, two weeks after the apex bank said legitimate agents can access up to $150,000 from the banks.
There were no FX inflows from the CBN during the past week, according to a report by the research department of Coronation Merchant Bank.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s external reserves, which provide the CBN with firepower to support the naira, rose to $48.77 billion as of February 19, 2026.
Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market was in the red as a broader risk-off shift tied to an emerging “AI scare trade” in equities is weighing on crypto markets.
This is leading traders to sell, while the sharp liquidation events that typically attract dip buyers have seen no such move recently, with Bitcoin (BTC) down by 3.2 per cent to $62,901.86.
Further, Ethereum (ETH) depreciated by 2.5 per cent to $1,821.13, Cardano (ADA) slid 1.9 per cent to $0.2571, Litecoin (LTC) went down by 1.9 per cent to $50.45, Solana (SOL) shrank 1.8 per cent to $76.54, Dogecoin (DOGE) declined by 1.7 per cent to $0.0912, Ripple (XRP) slumped 1.2 per cent to $1.32, and Binance Coin (BNB) lost 0.6 per cent to sell for $589.88, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) closed flat at $1.00 each.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Crude oil eased on Monday ahead of a third round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran, and amid increased economic uncertainty after the latest US tariff upheaval.
According to data, Brent crude futures lost 27 cents or 0.38 per cent to close at $71.49 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 17 cents or 0.26 per cent to per barrel $66.31.
Iran has indicated its preparedness to make concessions on its nuclear programme in return for sanctions lifting and recognition of its right to enrich uranium.
The Iranian government, facing pressure at home with a growing opposition and globally with threats of a US military strike, appears ready for a third round of Omani-mediated talks with American negotiators this week.
According to reports, the Foreign Minister of Oman, Mr Badr Albusaidi, on Sunday said talks would resume on Thursday, February 26, in Geneva “with a positive push to go the extra mile toward finalising the deal” over Iran’s nuclear program.
In separate remarks, the Iranian government suggested talks in the Swiss city on that date. However, there has been no confirmation from the US officials.
The US administration has been pressuring Iran to agree to curtail its nuclear program, which Iran insists is intended for peaceful, civilian purposes, such as electricity generation. The US, along with Israel and others in the West, has accused Iran of intending to build atomic weapons.
US President Donald Trump has dispatched two aircraft carrier strike groups, with dozens of fighter jets and bombers to the region, and other military planes and supporting forces have been spotted flying into air bases in the Middle East.
President Trump said on Saturday that he would raise a temporary tariff from 10 per cent to 15 per cent on US imports from all countries, the maximum allowed under the law.
This came after a US Supreme Court ruling last week struck down key parts of President Trump’s tariff plans, rekindling uncertainty among investors and businesses.
Goldman Sachs lifted its Q4 2026 Brent forecast to $60 and WTI to $56 per barrel, citing lower-than-expected OECD stock levels.
The bank still projects a 2.3 million barrels per day surplus in 2026, assuming no major supply disruptions.
Meanwhile, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) may resume production increases in 2026 amid limited inventory builds and shifting market dynamics.
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