One hundred women across communities in Iru Local Council Development Area, which covers communities across Victoria Island and its environs, have completed a 15-day Adire-making and entrepreneurship training programme; an intervention organized by Vcare for Development Foundation (VCDF) with support from Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO), in partnership with the Iru LCDA leadership.
The training aligns with the Federal Government’s 2023–2028 Women’s Economic Empowerment Policy, which identifies practical, accessible skills development as a key pathway to inclusive financial growth for women.
Beyond the craft itself, participants were taken through costing and pricing, basic record-keeping, customer service, audience segmentation, marketing, and business management, modules aimed at helping the women convert a vocational skill into a sustainable income stream.
At the training venue, rows of patterned fabric swayed in the Lagos air, the scent of wax and dye marking out a space defined by hands-on learning. Several participants said the programme left them with both a new skill and the confidence to start or scale an Adire business.
“The training was very helpful because, as a student, I need to have an income to support myself and my family. I had been waiting to learn Adire-making so I could sell, but my challenge was the oni’ko, the tying part. With what I have learned here, I can now make my own Adire and Batik materials and sell,” said Yetunde Agbaje, a participant.
Another participant, Mrs. Matanmi, said the marketing component had already begun paying off before the programme ended. “I learned a lot about marketing, customer relationships, and how to create beautiful patterns on my materials. I started posting Batik pictures on my WhatsApp status, and I got three orders even before the training ended. Now, I can make my Batik materials and set up my fashion business.”
The programme closed on Monday, June 15, 2026, at the Iru-Victoria Island LCDA Secretariat, with representatives of Iru LCDA, trainers, community stakeholders, VCDF officials, and the 100 participants in attendance.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Executive Chairman of Iru LCDA, Hon. Aminat Oluwakemi Alabi, commended VCDF, stating: “This programme reflects our shared commitment to equip women with practical skills to sustain the local economy. Human capital development would remain central to the Iru-LCDA’s policies.”
A central feature of the closing ceremony was the distribution of business starter packs, raw materials and tools for Adire, Tie and Dye, and Batik production, intended to bridge the gap between completing training and starting income-generating work.
The Iru LCDA training is part of a broader pattern of SEEPCO supported community interventions delivered through VCDF, which has positioned women’s vocational training, paired with starter-pack support, as a recurring model for grassroots economic inclusion across the communities where the oil company operates. Officials from both organizations say the approach, combining skills transfer, business education, and tangible start-up support, is designed to produce measurable shifts in household income rather than one-off training outcomes.
