The Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, has emphasized the need to empower Africa’s fashion and textile ecosystem. In a keynote address delivered on Thursday at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend Sumit in Algiers, the Minister highlighted Africa’s rich textile heritage, citing iconic fabrics such as Adire, Kente, Bogolan and Ankara, which embody the history, identity and pride of African people. According to a statement by her Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, PhD, Musawa emphasized the immense economic opportunity in Africa’s fashion industry, projected to grow to $15.
5 billion by 2025, stressing the need to address structural challenges hindering local production through collective action, including establishing cooperatives that foster collaboration. She said: “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. “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 fas.