{"id":1039,"date":"2026-07-13T05:18:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T04:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=1039"},"modified":"2026-07-13T06:13:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T05:13:01","slug":"fashion-dreams-fading-abrakas-textile-businesses-grapple-with-economic-headwinds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=1039","title":{"rendered":"Fashion dreams fading: Abraka’s textile businesses grapple with economic headwinds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Okhiria Aituagie Gift<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the vibrant textile market ofAbraka, the usual hum of sewing
machines and haggling overfabrics has been replaced by a more subdued atmosphere.Miss
Amaka Obi, proprietor of “Amaka’s Styles,” a popularfashion design and tailoring shop, finds
herself navigating anincreasingly difficult economic landscape. “It\u2019s like trying tosew with blunt
scissors,” Miss Obi explained during aninterview at her workshop on Wednesday, surrounded
bycolourful fabrics that now feel like a luxury. “The cost ofmaterials has skyrocketed, and people
simply don’t have themoney for new clothes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miss Obi detailed how the depreciating naira has significantly impacted her ability to source
quality fabrics and accessories.”Many of my premium fabrics, like lace and silk, are imported. The
exchange rate makes them prohibitively expensive. Even local ankara prints have gone up
because the dyes and production inputs are imported,” she stated. A roll of quality ankara that
cost N15,000 a few months ago now sells for N25,000, while imported lace materials have more
than doubled in price. This surge in input costs means that the price of commissioning a new
outfit has become unaffordable for many of her loyal customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> Winner Church Ekrejeta Invites DELSU Students to Special Pen of Excellence Service Ahead of Examinations<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used to get orders for weddings, birthdays, and church events almost weekly. Now, it’s rare.
Most people just come for repairs or minor alterations,” Miss Obi revealed, her voice tinged with
sadness. She has had to let go of two of her apprentices and is struggling to pay her remaining
staff. A customer, Mrs. Helen Ejiro, who was picking up a mended skirt, corroborated this trend.
“I love Amaka\u2019s designs, but I can’t afford new ones. My budget is tight; I prioritize food
and transport,” she said. The situation underscores the vulnerability of small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs)in Nigeria to macroeconomic shocks, particularly those reliant on imports or
discretionary consumer spending (IMF, 2024).Miss Obi remains hopeful but acknowledges the
need for innovative strategies, like focusing on more affordable designs and upcycling existing
garments, to stay afloat.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Okhiria Aituagie Gift In the vibrant textile market ofAbraka, the usual hum of sewingmachines and haggling overfabrics has been replaced by a more subdued atmosphere.MissAmaka Obi, proprietor of “Amaka’s Styles,” a popularfashion design and tailoring shop, findsherself navigating anincreasingly difficult economic landscape. “It\u2019s like trying tosew with bluntscissors,” Miss Obi explained during aninterview at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"iawp_total_views":9,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,14],"tags":[31,25,262,264],"class_list":["post-1039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abrakametro","category-trendingnews","tag-abraka","tag-delsu","tag-fashion","tag-textile"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1039"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1039\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1041,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1039\/revisions\/1041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}