At the ongoing 2025 Design and Innovation event at the Ecobank Pan African Centre in Lagos, L-R: Kola Adeleke, Executive Director, Commercial Banking; Titi Ogufere, Founder of Design Week and the Design, Innovation and Inventors Hub of Nigeria; Hannatu Musa Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy; Dr. Kaine Dosekun, CEO, Out of Africa Lifestyle Ltd.; and former Cross-River State First Lady, Onari Duke Young inventors and business executives flocked to the Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC) in Lagos for the much awaited opening of the Design and Innovation Exhibition 2025.
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The event, which takes place from Tuesday, February 25 to Sunday, March 2, highlights the enormous potential of Nigeria’s creative and manufacturing sectors. Design Week Lagos’ founder, Titi Ogufere, emphasised the exhibition’s goal of showcasing Nigeria’s extraordinary skill and inventiveness. She emphasised the need for more government and financial institution support to enable Nigerian designers to compete globally, particularly in the rapidly expanding, hundreds of billion-dollar design sector.
“The talent and effort being put forward in Nigeria’s creative sectors is demonstrated by this exhibition. We’re here to honour and highlight the abilities of our regional manufacturers and designers,” Ogufere stated. “There are a tonne of opportunities in the global design industry, and Nigerian designers can really succeed on the global scene with more assistance.” With the topic “Building a Made-in-Nigeria Brand,” the exhibition seeks to promote the value of industrialisation and export while showcasing the inventiveness, creativity, and craftsmanship of Nigerian designers.
Additionally, it shows a dedication to creating a sustainable industrial ecosystem that boosts regional talent and promotes economic expansion throughout Africa. Ogufere went on, “Nigeria has a lot of unrealised creative potential. It’s time for us to show off our domestic capabilities rather than concentrating on international markets. Nigerian designers have the potential to secure a substantial portion of the over $700 billion global furniture market.
Hannatu Musa Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy, was also present at the fair and emphasised the significance of enhancing the collaboration between Nigerian manufacturing and creativity. Musawa reaffirmed the federal government’s support for such efforts, saying, “We can modernise products, promote locally made furniture, and build stronger economic connections by leveraging our country’s rich creative resources.”
Ecobank Nigeria’s regional executive and managing director, Bolaji Lawal, discussed the bank’s dedication to helping small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Nigeria. “We understand the importance of working with the right partners, and the success of SMEs is key to transforming Nigeria’s economy,” said Lawal, who was represented by Omoboye Odu, Head of SME, Partnerships, and Collaboration.
We are well suited to support Nigerian creatives and give them a platform to grow their enterprises through Titi Ogufere and Design Week Lagos. A peek of Nigerian design’s future is provided by the show, which features 58 designers and includes manufacturer-designer collaborations.
