CAFA unveils plan to grow Africa’s fashion economy to $500bn at CANEX

The Confederation of African Fashion (CAFA) is set to unveil a roadmap for growing Africa’s fashion economy from an estimated $30 billion to $500 billion at CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos.

The unveiling will take place on November 5, coinciding with the organisation’s first anniversary. CAFA will also launch a joint stand with the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts, formerly the National Arts Theatre.

CAFA President, Aare (Prof.) Lai Labode, said the organisation was working with African governments to harmonise policies on sourcing, production, trade and intellectual property so that more value could be retained by African businesses and communities. Nigeria became the first country to sign the African Fashion Industry Growth Charter on November 5, 2025, when Minister Hannatu Musa Musawa signed on behalf of the Federal Government.

Speaking ahead of the unveiling, Musawa said the Afroliganza initiative was aimed at building a structured fashion industry rooted in African heritage and led by African institutions. She added that investment in the sector could create millions of jobs, particularly for women and young people.

Registered in Rwanda, with an office in Kigali and a desk at the Federal Ministry, CAFA is working with Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure the African Union’s adoption of the Charter. Rwanda is also on course to become the second participating country and the first in East Africa. In its first year, CAFA brought together representatives from 50 countries at the Egbaliganza-Lisabi Festival in Abeokuta and signed a memorandum of understanding with Türkiye’s ASRIAD.

The organisation is promoting the local processing of African raw materials into finished fashion products. Its “Own What We Create” initiative focuses on protecting intellectual property, while the CAFA Certified Seal and CAFA Heritage Mark are designed to promote quality and authenticity. CAFA is also working to establish African Global Fashion Houses in international markets.

Another major initiative, the African Global Fashion Games, will debut in Nigeria in 2028. The competition will bring designers together under their national colours every three years, alternating between African and international host countries. It will also feature investor meetings, business deals and policy discussions, while its Instant Craft event will challenge contestants to create designs using identical materials within a fixed time.

CAFA has invited fashion designers, artisans, creatives, diplomats, economists, investors and policymakers to visit its stand at CANEX WKND 2026, which will be open from November 5 to 8. Visitors can learn about the roadmap and explore opportunities in design, manufacturing, investment, research, trade and international partnerships. “Fashion has always told the world who Africa is. Now Africa will decide what fashion pays,” Labode said.

The organisation has also urged the African Union to adopt the Charter and called on governments to sign the Games Register and establish national teams ahead of the 2028 competition.