The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has announced a strategic partnership with Lagos Fashion Week 2025, aimed at driving growth in Africa’s apparel and textile export industries, projected to reach $15 billion by 2030.
In a statement, the corporation said the collaboration aligns with its broader mandate to promote industrialisation and job creation through strategic investments in critical infrastructure that transform African economies.
Now in its 15th year, Lagos Fashion Week has evolved into a globally recognised platform celebrating African design excellence, creativity, and innovation. The 2025 edition will spotlight circular fashion, responsible sourcing, and regional value chains — key areas where AFC’s infrastructure investments are helping bridge the gap between Africa’s creative and industrial potential.
“Africa’s creative industries embody both our cultural pride and our economic promise,” said Samaila Zubairu, President/CEO of AFC. “Through this partnership with Lagos Fashion Week 2025, we are advancing our commitment to turn that promise into measurable impact — empowering youth, strengthening local manufacturing, and driving value addition on the continent.”
Also speaking, Omoyemi Akerele, Founder of Lagos Fashion Week, said the partnership aligns perfectly with the event’s mission to promote sustainability and local production in Africa’s fashion ecosystem.
“We are pleased to welcome AFC as a key partner. Their commitment to sustainable infrastructure and local manufacturing aligns with our vision for a future where Africa’s creative industries not only inspire but also produce and export value from within the continent,” Akerele said.
Through its investee company, ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms, AFC is facilitating Africa’s transition from being a raw material exporter to a producer and exporter of finished goods. So far, AFC-backed projects have added over $50 billion to GDP and created seven million jobs across 36 African countries.
