On 29 July 2026, IFFIZI transformed the Belgian Residence in Abuja into a sacred forest of Adire for An Adire Adieu, a special evening marking the departure of Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Pieter Leenknegt, and celebrating the creative connections between Belgium and Nigeria.

Conceived and curated by IFFIZI, the installation brought together IFFIZI custom Adire and textiles from Adire Factory, suspended throughout the Residence to create an immersive landscape of colour, pattern and movement. Paintings by Nigerian artist Yvonne Chinenye Ezie added another layer, creating a dialogue between textile heritage, contemporary art and design.

The evening also provided the setting for the first public introduction of Cotton Bank, an emerging initiative exploring how Nigeria’s extraordinary textile heritage can become a stronger source of sustainable livelihoods and opportunity — connecting cotton, dyes, craftsmanship, skills, design, finance and access to markets.

For IFFIZI, An Adire Adieu was both a celebration of a longstanding creative relationship with the Belgian Embassy and a statement about the future: heritage remains alive when we continue to make it, reinterpret it and create new opportunities around it.

Photography and documentation by Bolaji Alonge – Eyes of a Lagos Boy.

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