THE Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, on Thursday, emphasised the immense economic opportunity in Africa’s fashion industry, projected to grow to $15.5 billion by 2025.
Musawa who gave the charge in Algiers during the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend Summit, emphasised the need to empower Africa’s fashion and textile ecosystem.
She said 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.
Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, on Thursday, emphasised the immense economic opportunity in Africa’s fashion industry, projected to grow to $15.5 billion by 2025.
Musawa who gave the charge in Algiers during the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend Summit, emphasised the need to empower Africa’s fashion and textile ecosystem.
She said 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.
“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 fashion industry contributes approximately $6.1 billion to GDP, while South Africa’s textile sector employs over 140,000 people, demonstrating the sector’s capacity for job creation.
“Investments in fashion will create millions of jobs, particularly for women and youth. By expanding local production, we will not only add value within our borders but also position Africa as a global hub for fashion.
“We are also working diligently to protect and promote our fashion, garment, and textile industries by updating our intellectual property (IP) laws.
“These laws will protect our traditional techniques, textiles, and designs while simultaneously ensuring that we address the exploitation of our cultural treasures. This will prevent the originating communities from remaining unacknowledged and impoverished while others profit from their creativity,” she said.
