Nigeria Sees Growth In Creative Industry As Sector Contributes Over $7bn To Economy

Nigeria is gradually experiencing growth in the creative industry which is now recognised globally.

According to Donna McGowan, Country Director, British Council Nigeria, ‘Nigeria’s creative industry contributes over $7 billion to the economy, with fashion playing a key role in its global influence.

McGowan’s comment reinforces key players in the Nigeria designers industry featuring in the Africa Fashion Week London (AFWL) 2025.

Two Nigerian design houses are already making preparations to showcase their designs at the Africa Fashion Week London (AFWL) 2025, scheduled for August 9 – 10 at Space House, London.

Henri Uduku and Black Fine and Fly will represent Nigeria’s fashion and design industry at one of the world’s most prestigious runways under the auspices of the British Council.

This international showcase will feature a dedicated British Council catwalk presentation and an exhibition pavilion, spotlighting some of Africa’s most innovative early-stage designers. The initiative provides these designers with new international connections and access to new markets, while also creating opportunities for cross-cultural learning, collaboration, and business growth.

The designers will be joined by eight other designers from Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana and Zimbabwe.

All designers are alumni or current participants of the Creative DNA fashion accelerator programme, a flagship initiative of the British Council’s creative economy portfolio in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2020, it has supported over 200 fashion entrepreneurs across Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Malawi through mentorship, business development, and showcasing opportunities.

The programme is designed to strengthen creative enterprises, foster inclusion, and build international connections between Africa and the UK.

Henry Uduku is no stranger to the programme’s showcasing pillar.

As the founder and creative director of his eponymous menswear label, he has showcased his work to a curated group of global fashion buyers at key continental platforms, including the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX@IATF2023) in Cairo, Egypt, and the Creative Economy Week 2025 in Harare, Zimbabwe, affirming his place among a new generation of African designers redefining fashion with purpose and precision.

Black Fine and Fly, a recent addition to the Creative DNA programme, is an Afro-European collective whose denim designs are deeply inspired by African style, heritage, and culture.

In addition to the runway and exhibition, the designers will join business clinics and panel discussions with UK fashion experts and facilitators from Westminster University and the Fashion Retail Academy as well as participate in retail and manufacturing ecosystem tours across London, offering them direct insights into ethical production practices, global fashion standards, and the dynamics of the international retail market.

The cultural exchange components the engagements provide designers a unique opportunity to explore the UK’s fashion ecosystem, encompassing supplier networks, sustainability models, and the retail partnerships.

This year’s British Council Pavilion will also look ahead to the future of fashion, showcasing where fashion meets technology. The exhibition will showcase the work of African designers and fashion weeks that are collaborating with AI labs and robotics engineers to explore tech-enabled storytelling and virtual reality runways on digital avatars, paving the way for cross continental virtual fashion presentations.

Platforms like Africa Fashion Week London provide emerging designers like Henri Uduku and Black Fine and Fly with critical international exposure, helping them build networks, attract buyers, and gain the market insight needed to scale their brands sustainably.’

The engagement reflects the British Council’s ongoing commitment to placing creativity, cultural exchange, and enterprise at the centre of inclusive and sustainable growth across Africa and the UK.

Queen Ronke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi, Founder of Africa Fashion Week London, emphasised that ‘This partnership with the British Council represents a bold step forward in our mission to elevate African fashion on globallyy showcasing these visionary designers in London, we’re not only celebrating their talents but also forging deeper cross-cultural connections within the global fashion ecosystem.’