CAFA targets AU endorsement of African fashion industry charter

The Confederation of African Fashion (CAFA) is seeking African Union (AU) endorsement of the African Fashion Industry Growth Charter as part of efforts to establish a continental framework for developing the fashion industry.

The move comes one year after Nigeria became the first country to sign the Charter on November 5, 2025, through the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy.

CAFA President, Aare Prof. Lai Labode, announced the initiative on Thursday at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, Lagos, saying the organisation was working to secure wider adoption across Africa.

Labode said Rwanda was making progress towards becoming the second country to formally adopt the Charter, while discussions were ongoing with Liberia and Ghana. He added that the next step would involve processing the agreement through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before presenting it to the African Union.

He said Africa’s fashion economy, estimated at $60bn, had the potential to grow to $500bn but continued to face challenges, including inadequate certification systems, limited manufacturing capacity and poor access to finance.

According to him, Africa exports textiles worth $15.5bn annually but imports about $23.1bn in textiles, clothing and footwear, highlighting the need to strengthen local production and retain more value within the continent.

Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, said Nigeria signed the Charter because it recognised fashion as an economic sector requiring common standards and institutional support. “When the Confederation of African Fashion brought us the Charter, we read it as an economic instrument, and we signed. A signature only matters if something follows it.”

CAFA is also engaging Austria and Türkiye on plans for a central textile factory, production and global distribution, alongside training and intellectual property protection. The organisation also announced that Nigeria would host the African Global Fashion Games in 2028, featuring seven disciplines, including design, craftsmanship, textile performance and innovation.