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Nigeria Faces $3 Billion Annual Loss from Imported Ankara Fabrics, Says Minister.Nigeria loses almost $3 billion annually to foreign producers of ankara, a popular wax print in West and Central Africa, according to Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy. Speaking at last week’s Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND) 2024 in Algiers, Musawa made this claim.Musawa emphasised the need to strengthen Africa’s fashion and textile sector in a statement issued by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Nneka Anibeze. She noted that textiles like adire, kente, bogolan, and ankara symbolise Africa’s history, pride, and identity.”Despite this heritage, it is deeply ironic that many of the fabrics we cherish, such as ankara, are predominantly produced outside Africa,” Musawa stated. “Nearly 90 percent 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.” In order to recover Africa’s fashion narrative, the minister underlined the significance of boosting local production capacities.”We must reclaim our fashion narrative by strengthening local production capacities and ensuring that the benefits of this vibrant industry remain within our borders,” she stated.Musawa called for action to solve structural issues that impede local production, pointing out that the fashion business in Africa is expected to reach $15.5 billion by 2025. “Fashion is far more than a form of expression,” she said, highlighting the fashion industry’s economic potential. It is a major force in the economy. The estimated worth of the global fashion sector is $2.5 trillion. The fashion industry in Nigeria alone generates over $6.1 billion in GDP, while the textile industry in South Africa employs more than 140,000 people, indicating the industry’s potential to create jobs.She also underlined that fashion investments have the potential to create millions of employment, particularly for young people and women.”By expanding local production, we will not only add value within our borders but also position Africa as a global hub for fashion,” Musawa stated.Under the Design Nexus and Destination 2030 initiative, the minister also described the government’s efforts to support the sector, including the creation of manufacturing hubs and training programs for artisans. Musawa claims that the goal of these initiatives is to elevate Nigeria’s creative economy, arts, and culture to a position of international prominence.

Cynthia Okonkwo October 21, 2024

Senator Zwingina Passes Away at 70

Cynthia Okonkwo October 3, 2024

Senator Jonathan Silas Zwingina, a former senator and the former director general of the MKO Abiola campaign organisation during the June 12, 1993, presidential election, is dead. Zwingina served as the director general of the late Chief Moshood Abiola's "Hope '93" presidential campaign group for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which was involved in the 1993 election that was cancelled by General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (Retd), a former military president. He passed on Wednesday 2nd October 2024 at the age of 70 in Abuja after a prolonged illness....

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