Omolabake Fasogbon and  Sunday Ehighator

Nigeria’s creative industry holds enormous prospects for the local economy. Experts say its diverse subsectors -from music, film, and television to visual arts, publishing, and fashion, amongst others, represent a vast goldmine capable of driving sustainable economic growth.

Although valued at approximately $6.4 billion as of 2021, industry observers reckon that the sector’s performance lags behind its potential.

Among its many segments, the fashion subsector continues to attract the most optimism, buoyed by growing e-commerce adoption, international export prospects, and rising local appetite for luxury and indigenous designs.

According to reports, fashion and textile industry remains the second largest industry in Africa, valued at $31 billion, with Nigeria accounting for around 15 per cent of this economy. Locally, the spotlight is on this subsector to raise its revenue by over $2 billion by end of 2025, reduce unemployment and drive diversification efforts.

But the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ananse Center for Design, Samuel Mensah, expressed concern that lingering sector constraints may be frustrating these prospects

While speaking at the grand launch of the center in Lagos recently, Mensah attested to the ingenuity of African creatives, noting how the center is further leveraging right partnerships to address lapses limiting full expression of talent and players.

The one-stop centre prides itself as Africa’s first fully integrated creative hub, packing essential resources for African budding and established creatives to hone their skills and access global markets.

The colourful launch drew stakeholders from diverse sectors, including government representatives, private sector partners, investors, industry stakeholders and fashion/ arts enthusiasts which included Founder of Nike Art Gallery, Dr.  Nike Okundaye, who also serves as the center’s patron.

A guided tour of the 1,200-square-meter facility in Lekki, revealed a complete fashion value chain, featuring dedicated spaces for mentorship and master classes, content studio for brand amplification, photography and computer-aided design labs for product development, and specialized studios for leatherwork, clothing, footwear, and accessories.

The center also houses a private showroom for design showcases, a co-working space for peer work, and an e-commerce platform connecting local designers to global audience and markets.

Mensah, emphasised that the centre is but a solution put forward to resolve the aggregate challenges constraining creative talent, such as limited access to tools, funding, markets and skills gap, amongst others.

He credited   strategic collaboration as key in driving the industry’s real potential, noting how key partners across both the public & private sectors had been instrumental in fulfilling goals of the initiative which targets over 5000 fashion creatives in the continent.

He noted that partners, including the Ministry of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, African Union, Mastercard Foundation, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), CLO, and Ecobank, among others, have been on-boarded to bring their expertise, resources, and institutional strength to drive the center’s vision forward.

“This is more than a space, it’s a catalyst for change. By combining training, infrastructure and global market access, we are giving thousands of young creatives, especially women, the chance to turn their talent into sustainable livelihoods.

“The centre will help us fulfil our goals of creating access to 50,000 jobs and more as well advance. It would address critical gaps in the industry and serve as a hub for creativity, skills development, and entrepreneurship to further drive innovation and inclusion within the sector. Participants in our program will benefit from 22 courses across five modules, including business skills, business development, e-commerce, marketing and product development, delivered both physically at the center’s fashion hub and virtually through interactive live sessions”, he said.

Earlier, Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa expressed support for the initiative which is further backed by a five-year memorandum of understanding with the center to scale the model nationwide.

“The center aligns with our commitment to advancing Nigeria’s creative economy. By investing in skills, facilities and global visibility for our designers, we are creating jobs, supporting women and youth, while ensuring Nigerian creativity is recognized on the world stage. Our collaboration with Ananse will help scale this model across the country and secure lasting impact for the sector,” she said.  

Also commenting, Mastercard Foundation’s Country Director, Rosy Fynn reiterated the foundation’s commitment to creative sector’s growth and opportunities for talent.

“ By bringing together training, infrastructure, and access to markets, the center creates pathways for young people, especially young women  to thrive, build sustainable livelihoods, and contribute meaningfully to inclusive economic growth”, she stated.

Similarly, the Director, Public Affairs and Communications, Pan-African Programs at the foundation, Liz Ntonijira described the collaboration with Ananse as a key milestone in advancing the foundation’s ‘Young Africa Work’ strategy.

 “Already, we have been working hard to implement the ‘Young Africa Work’ strategy which we’re looking to enable 30 million young people to get jobs. This partnership is thus a great pathway for us to do this through the creative economy”, she added.

The launch climaxed with models  taking  multiple runway turns, displaying a diverse range of customized pieces and designs from the center.

Training and Curriculum Manager at Anansi, Temi Owoduni seized the occasion to solicit support for start-ups struggling  to scale, revealing that the center, with backing from partners, had so far empowered over 3500 creatives within its first year of operations.

He called on individuals, organizations, and development partners to support the movement towards a self-sustaining creative ecosystem.

“Creatives need you now. You can’t let them down. If you look at the world, you’ll find amazing people who have shattered the ceiling in the industry. There are many others coming behind them who deserve to be listed among the greats, but they need your support at this critical time”, he urged.