Tinubu hails Omoyemi Akerele for winning 2025 Earthshot Prize
By Kunle Sanni –
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Ms. Omoyemi Akerele, founder of Lagos Fashion Week, for emerging as one of the winners of the prestigious 2025 Earthshot Prize.
At a ceremony held on Wednesday at the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Lagos Fashion Week was announced as the only African enterprise among the five global winners of the £5 million prize. The platform, which promotes sustainability in fashion, triumphed over 2,500 nominees from 72 countries and will receive £1 million (about ₦1.9 billion).
Established in 2020 by Britain’s Prince William, the Earthshot Prize honours innovative solutions addressing global environmental challenges. Lagos Fashion Week won in the “Build a Waste-Free World” category for its pioneering efforts to redefine Africa’s fashion industry through sustainable practices.
President Tinubu commended Ms. Akerele for her visionary leadership and contribution to sustainable development, describing the achievement as a testament to “the audacity of vision and purpose.”
“Lagos Fashion Week has not only become a platform for innovation but also for environmentally sustainable creativity,” the President said, adding that Ms. Akerele’s success serves as an inspiration to both women and men across Nigeria.
The President further urged Nigerian innovators to remain steadfast in pursuing their goals, assuring them that perseverance and creativity continue to define the nation’s global impact.
