Nigeria Fashion Week moves to Abuja with ambition to build creative hub

Nigeria Fashion Week is being held in Abuja this year, as organisers seek to develop the capital into a stronger fashion and creative centre. The event, which concludes on Sunday, moved from Lagos, Nigeria’s major economic and artistic hub, to the centrally planned capital. The runway featured Nigerian models in large architectural silhouettes, richly detailed textiles and shimmering patterns.

Organiser Lexy Mojo-Eyes said the move was intended to change perceptions of Abuja and build it as a fashion city. He described the capital as slower and more relaxed than Lagos, where he began his career. Abuja has developed a smaller creative scene that includes photography, film and literary events.

Organisers said relocating the fashion week would also encourage dialogue between the fashion industry and government. Culture Minister Hannatu Musa said government needed to provide an enabling environment, including through reforms to tourism and intellectual property law. She attended a Friday runway show in a metallic silver, pink and blue dress.

The event included international participation. Libyan designer Rabia Ben Barka presented shimmering dresses and described Abuja as clean and organised during her first visit to Nigeria. Her collection included boxy silhouettes, while another design featured a metallic silver-and-black pinstriped suit with heeled leather shoes.

Lagos-based handbag designer Chinwe Ezenwa, whose company opened a second factory in Abuja in 2021, said the city was beginning to develop. Lagos continues to host its own separate fashion week. The organisers’ ambitions face practical questions.

The source material said Abuja still has empty lots and farms, while residents face high housing costs and the government has faced criticism over the removal of green areas, farms and open-air restaurants for luxury development. It also remains uncertain whether the capital can support the workers needed for a larger creative sector, including designers, students and entrepreneurs. During the event, a temporary power failure interrupted preparations before electricity returned, prompting one attendee to call the moment “very authentic”.