AFC Partners Lagos Fashion Week 2025 for Sustainable Growth

AFC joins forces with Lagos Fashion Week 2025 to strengthen Africa’s creative industries through sustainable infrastructure and circular fashion.

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) partners with Lagos Fashion Week 2025 to drive industrial transformation, promote circular fashion, and empower Africa’s youth through sustainable creative value chains.

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (www.AfricaFC.org), the continent’s foremost infrastructure solutions provider, has announced its partnership with Lagos Fashion Week 2025, reinforcing its dedication to empowering Africa’s creative and youth-driven industries as vital engines of inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

With Africa’s apparel and textile exports projected to reach $15 billion by 2030, AFC’s collaboration with Lagos Fashion Week 2025 aims to strengthen the continent’s creative economy—one of its fastest-growing sectors—by advancing sustainable production, local manufacturing, and value addition throughout the fashion and textile value chain.

AFC’s partnership aligns with its broader mission to promote industrialisation and job creation through strategic infrastructure investments that transform African economies. Through its investee company ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP), AFC is catalysing Africa’s transition from exporting raw materials to producing and exporting finished goods. The Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) in Benin Republic exemplifies this transformation, hosting world-class textile factories that convert locally grown cotton into finished garments for global retailers such as The Children’s Store in the United States. The project demonstrates sustainability by operating on 100% renewable energy, using sustainably sourced cotton, and recycling up to 95% of its water, while generating thousands of skilled jobs for local youth.

Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of AFC, stated:

“Africa’s creative industries embody both our cultural pride and our economic promise. Through this partnership with Lagos Fashion Week 2025, we are advancing AFC’s commitment to turn that promise into measurable impact—supporting the full fashion value chain to empower the youth, strengthen local manufacturing, and drive value addition on the continent. By building critical infrastructure that underpins these creative value chains, AFC is ensuring that Africa’s designers and manufacturers can compete on a truly global stage.”

Now marking its 15th edition, Lagos Fashion Week has evolved into a globally recognised platform that celebrates African creativity and innovation. The 2025 edition will focus on circular fashion, responsible sourcing, and regional value chains—areas that directly align with AFC’s infrastructure and sustainability investments aimed at bridging the gap between Africa’s creative and industrial capabilities.

Omoyemi Akerele, Founder of Lagos Fashion Week, shared:

“We are pleased to welcome AFC as a key partner for Lagos Fashion Week 2025. Their commitment to advancing sustainable infrastructure and local manufacturing aligns with our mission to strengthen the foundations of Africa’s fashion ecosystem. AFC’s leadership in financing sustainable infrastructure and manufacturing aligns perfectly with our vision for a future where Africa’s creative industries not only inspire but also produce and export value from within the continent.”

This partnership builds on AFC’s expanding presence in Africa’s creative economy, following collaborations such as the +234Art Fair partnership with Ecobank. Collectively, AFC-supported projects have contributed over US$50 billion to GDP and helped create 7 million jobs across 36 African countries, underscoring its role in shaping the continent’s industrial and creative transformation.