The Lofa Women Weaving Center, initiated as an idea during Axel M. Addy's tenure as Minister of Commerce and Industry, has been reopened with the support of the Government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. The center, located in Kolahun, Liberia's cotton belt, was established to turn traditional country cloth into a steady income source for rural women.
The project began with a question: how can Liberia turn a treasured product into sustainable income for rural women? Lofa has a long history of weaving country cloth, but the women who made it earned little from their skill. The initiative aimed to create a Liberian brand called Lofa Cloth, with quality standards, legal protection, and buyers at home and abroad.
The Government of Japan played a crucial role in supporting the project. In 2014, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry established the Liberia Innovation Fund for Entrepreneurship, the LIFE Fund, under a grant from the Government of Japan, with an approved budget of US$665,000. The fund supported several initiatives, including the Lofa Women Weaving Center.
The center was part of the Rural Industrial Promotion Program for Economic Empowerment (RIPE). Its goal was to organize rural women into cooperatives of 50 to 150 members. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry provided US$231,000 for construction through the LIFE Fund. The design included a showroom, tailoring hall, weaving hall, cotton receiving and processing hall, and apprenticeship training for young weavers.
However, after 2018, the center lacked management, funding, and market support, causing it to stop operations. The plan relied on coordination among several ministries, including the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. When that coordination stopped, the center stopped too.
The next task is to build demand for Lofa Cloth. Liberia needs a national strategy covering cotton supply, weaving capacity, quality standards, modern design, cooperative management, and reliable markets. The Buy Liberian, Build Liberia agenda and the Wear Your Pride campaign can help create a market for Lofa Cloth.
Every Liberian has a role to play in supporting the center. Government must lead with policy and resources, businesses must invest and buy, designers must innovate, and consumers must choose Liberian. With steady support, Lofa Cloth can travel from Kolahun to Monrovia, to the region, and to the world, empowering hundreds of women and creating work for cotton farmers, transporters, designers, tailors, traders, photographers, and exporters.
Key points
- The Lofa Women Weaving Center aims to empower rural women through sustainable income generation by turning traditional country cloth into a marketable product.
- The Government of Japan supported the project through a US$665,000 grant under the Liberia Innovation Fund for Entrepreneurship.
- A national strategy and coordinated effort among Liberians are needed to build demand and ensure the center's sustainability.
