Chinese guests rock Yoruba headties at Lagos gele festival

Members of the Chinese community wear traditional Yoruba headties at the maiden Lagos Gele Festival in Lagos on Sunday. Photo: Galaxy TV

Chinese nationals joined Nigerians in celebrating Yoruba culture at the maiden Lagos Gele Festival, wearing the traditional headtie as the Lagos State Government offered a ₦2m prize for the best design.

The festival, organised by the state government on Sunday at Eko Amore Garden in Lekki, brought together fashion practitioners, entertainers, cultural enthusiasts and international guests to showcase the artistry of gele styling.

Members of the Chinese community also participated in the ceremony and wore the traditional headtie.

Beyond the cultural display, the government said the festival was also designed to promote gele styling as a source of employment and income, particularly for women and young people.

Galaxy TV reports that the Lagos State Special Adviser on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe, said the initiative followed a letter from a Lagos resident who urged the government to recognise and preserve the traditional headtie by including it in the state’s cultural calendar.

He said the festival was established to honour gele stylists, fabric makers, headtie artists, photographers and women who had sustained the tradition over the years.

The ₦2m prize for the best gele was one of the event’s major attractions, recognising the creativity and skill involved in turning fabric into elaborate headtie designs.

The festival’s organisers are yet to announce the winner of the ₦2m competition.

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Aregbe had also announced training opportunities for young gele artists, covering practical styling, entrepreneurship and mentorship.

Speaking to journalists last week in Lagos, Aregbe said the government is also planning to create a database of creative industry practitioners to connect trained gele artists with event organisers, major functions and tourism showcases across Lagos.

The arrangement is expected to help practitioners secure paid engagements beyond the festival and build sustainable careers from their skills.

Aregbe said the training programme would continue through masterclasses and mentorship sessions to accommodate growing interest in professional gele styling.

He said, “If we empower one woman, we empower the family and the entire community.”

The event attracted actresses Sotayo Gaga and Bukky Wright, singer Darey Alade and comedian Folagade Banks, among other guests.

The gele, traditionally worn by Yoruba women at weddings, religious gatherings and other important occasions, has remained a prominent feature of the region’s fashion and cultural identity.