Musawa Champions Africa’s Fashion, Textile Revolution at CANEX 2024

The Nigerian Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa has stressed the importance of empowering Africa’s fashion and textile industry.

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During her keynote address at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend Summit in Algiers, the Minister highlighted Africa’s vibrant textile heritage, citing iconic fabrics such as Adire, Kente, Bogolan, and Ankara, which encapsulate the history, identity, and pride of African communities.

“Despite this heritage, it is deeply ironic that many of the fabrics we cherish, such as Ankara, are predominantly produced outside Africa. Nearly 90% of the Ankara consumed on our continent is imported, leading to an annual loss of approximately $3 billion to foreign manufacturers. We must change this. We must reclaim our fashion narrative by strengthening local production capacities and ensuring that the benefits of this vibrant industry remain within our borders,” she said.

Minister Musawa highlighted the vast economic potential of Africa’s fashion industry, which is expected to reach $15.5 billion by 2025. She emphasized the importance of tackling the structural challenges that hinder local production and called for collective efforts, such as forming cooperatives to promote collaboration within the sector.

“Fashion is far more than a form of expression. It is an economic powerhouse. The global fashion industry is valued at approximately $2.5 trillion. In Nigeria alone, the fashion industry contributes approximately $6.1 billion to GDP, while South Africa’s textile sector employs over 140,000 people, demonstrating the sector’s capacity for job creation,” She added.

“Investments in fashion will create millions of jobs, particularly for women and youth. By expanding local production, we will not only add value within our borders but also position Africa as a global hub for fashion.

We are also working diligently to protect and promote our fashion, garment, and textile industries by updating our intellectual property (IP) laws. These laws will protect our traditional techniques, textiles, and designs while simultaneously ensuring that we address the exploitation of our cultural treasures. This will prevent the originating communities from remaining unacknowledged and impoverished while others profit from their creativity,” Musawa said.

Under Minister Musawa’s leadership, the Design Nexus and Destination 2030 initiatives will create manufacturing hubs and luxury craftsmanship training programs across Africa. These efforts align with Nigeria’s vision to elevate its arts, culture, and creative economy to a leading global position.

The session also included a panel of speakers, featuring Dr. Pamela Samasuwo-Nyawiri, Co-founder and Creative Director of Vanhu Vamwe from Zimbabwe; Santosh Kumar, Director of Legislation at the International Cooperative Alliance from Belgium; Kenza Fourati, Co-Founder and President of OSAY the label from Tunisia; Khanyi Mashimbye from Afreximbank; Lily Sommer, Programme Manager for AfCFTA at the International Trade Centre; and Adel Kadar, Head of Weaving Production at TAYAL from Algeria.

Oluchi Okwuego