Nigerian entrepreneurs in the design, fashion, video games, audiovisual, and dance sector have been supported by the French Embassy in the country with a 1.2 million Euro fund.
The “Lagos x Paris Fashion & Design Accelerator” which got underway in France between Friday to Sunday is funded through the grant. Onyinye Madu, press officer at the French Embassy in Nigeria revealed that the “Lagos x Paris Fashion & Design Accelerator” is focused on assisting 10 high-potential Nigerian brands operating in the fashion and design industry.
The press officer also noted that the country had conveyed significant representatives to the event with many skilled people in the animation, video games, and cinema sectors.
Among the 120 applicants for fashion, 10 brands chosen for this 2023-2024 cohort, Lagos Space Programme. Among these 10 brands are TJWHO Design, OBIDA, EKI KERE, ELEXIAY and WAF – Wafflesandcream Limited; for Accessories: MALIKO and Ethnic Africa; for Design: OMI Collective et Aga Design and Culture Limited.
Onyinye Madu further disclosed that the program is determined to provide close coaching, foster creativity, strengthen business education, and steer the county’s innovative creatives and their group in traversing the French and international fashion world.
She also said “Through this platform, the French Embassy in Nigeria aims at celebrating Nigerian creativity and cultural preservation initiatives, sustainable practices and cross-cultural collaborations, while giving the tools and skills for creatives to build long-lasting and incremental financial growth for their company.
In addition, the aim of this program is not only to strengthen the entrepreneurial skills of 10 Nigerian brands but also to support their export opportunities to France by participating in key events.”
The program has been taught in collaboration with several remarkable Fashion and Design stakeholders and its curriculum, which combines group and individual training, mentoring, and master classes (over 120 hours per brand), has been defined in conjunction with renowned French and African experts and the Nigerian incubator for creative industry CCHUB.
“The Accelerator will also close off with professional travels to Paris, designed to immerse the selected brands in the world capital of fashion via unique access to key industry players and events.” she added
She concluded by saying that under the “Création Africa” program as stated by Emmanuel Macron, French president in February 2023, the “Lagosx Paris Fashion & Design Accelerator” event is amongst the programs.
