Nigerian Textile Designer Mariam Oladepo-Ajagbe Calls for Innovation-Driven Revitalisation of the Industry

By Tosin Clegg

Nigerian fiber and surface pattern designer Mariam Oladepo-Ajagbe is making waves in the global textile conversation with her call for an active, innovation-driven revitalisation of the Nigerian textile industry. Her current research, “Pattern Design as Archive of Healing and Heritage,” positions Oladepo-Ajagbe as one of Nigeria’s emerging voices connecting cultural heritage, healing, and digital transformation in textile design.

Oladepo-Ajagbe emphasizes that the resurgence of Aso-Oke and batik presents a strategic opportunity to trademark and protect Nigeria’s creative heritage, similar to Ghana’s globally recognized Kente cloth. She urges government, industry leaders, and creative institutions to recognize indigenous textiles as both cultural assets and economic drivers.

“We have the cotton, the craft, and the talent,” says Oladepo-Ajagbe. “What we need now is the vision, the tools, and the bridge to connect our traditions to the future.”

Once a continental powerhouse employing hundreds of thousands, Nigeria’s textile and apparel sector has experienced dramatic decline. Recent reports indicate a 298% increase in textile imports, valued at ₦726 billion in 2024, while exports remain only a fraction of that amount. Oladepo-Ajagbe argues that revitalisation must combine heritage preservation, sustainability, and digital innovation.

A practicing fiber artist and digital pattern designer, Oladepo-Ajagbe integrates traditional techniques with modern technology, creating works that explore identity, healing, and cultural memory. Her projects, including Cultural Bridge, merge up-cycled fibers with digital motifs, demonstrating how tradition and technology can coexist in the modern creative landscape.

Currently, Oladepo-Ajagbe is developing a platform to bridge Nigeria’s textile academia and industry, advocating curriculum reforms that introduce digital and software-based design tools in university textile programs. According to her:

“Integrating digital design into textile education will position Nigeria for world-class competitiveness and global relevance.”

Oladepo-Ajagbe’s message is clear: the revitalisation of Nigeria’s textile sector lies not only in preserving the past, but in digitally re-weaving it into the fabric of the future