The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, at the recently held Creative Africa Nexus Weekend summit held in Algiers, Algeria, emphasised the need to empower Africa’s fashion and textile ecosystem. In a keynote address the minister delivered, she 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. In a statement by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, Musawa 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 per cent 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.
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