Sanwo-Olu, American Entertainer, Ciara Close The Gong At Exchange Market 

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday, closed the gong at the Nigeria Exchange Market to commemorate Lagos Fashion Week — an event marking creativity, enterprise and the growth of the fashion industry as a force for sustainable economic transformation.

The Governor, in company of the State’s cabinet members, was joined by an International superstar and Grammy’s award winner, Ciara Princess Wilson, who arrived in Lagos on Thursday to participate in events marking the Fashion Week, held between October 30 and November 2.

Lagos Fashion Week is a private-led initiative aimed at promoting Nigerian brands and locally woven apparels. A Lagos couple, Mr. Tokunbo and Yemi Akerele, organised the event in the last 15 years, projecting Nigerian fashion trends to the world market.

Sanwo-Olu said the event spoke to the business and innovation sides of fashion, noting that the show brought the creativity of Lagos entrepreneurs to the forefront of the global marketplace.

The Governor said the event leveraged fashion as a strong enabler to attract foreign investment to the State and drive growth in tourism.

He said: “Our administration is committed to supporting people who are curating an ecosystem that will push locally created brands to the global market. Africa is the next continent that will drive the global economy in the next 30 years and on the continent, Nigeria is only one country that has the demographic advantage to lead this new economic growth.

“In Nigeria, there is a big city that speaks to everything about growth. It is called Lagos, which truly represents the entire dream of Nigeria and Africa. We are a people that have the demographic that will take the world to a level that cannot be imagined. Lagos is about the only city in Africa where you will see a set of innovators in their teens who are anxious to make changes.

“The Fashion Week speaks to both business and innovation, bringing to the forefront the best creatives that we have in Lagos. The event is leveraging fashion as a strong enabler and repository of knowledge. We are happy that the NGX has discovered the untapped potential in the market.”

Sanwo-Olu said the support by Lagos State Government and the validation of the NGX had offered a new platform for creatives and fashion entrepreneurs to thrive and take their brands internationally.

He pledged that his Government would continue to introduce policies that would unlock more access and open opportunities for entrepreneurs in the space to grow.

NGX Group Chairman, Dr. Umaru Kwairanga, applauded the Lagos Fashion Week initiative for nurturing creative excellence and business innovation, stressing that the event had placed Nigerian fashion on the global stage.

Kwairanga said the show had not only demonstrated creativity as an art but also an engine for economic inclusion and social impact.

He said: “Through the NGX Growth Board, we have created a platform for growth-oriented businesses, including those in fashion, design, and creative services, to raise long-term capital, strengthen governance, and attract investors who believe in their vision. The Growth Board is designed to help SMEs formalise, expand, and build resilience.

“As part of our inclusion agenda, we are committed to bringing more participants from the creative sector into the capital market. We aim to empower designers, stylists, photographers, and other creative entrepreneurs not only to raise capital but also to invest, own shares, and contribute to the nation’s economic growth.”

Ciara pledged to use her platform to promote the beauty and talents in Lagos, noting that the city had evolved into a global market for fashion.

She said: “I’m excited to have been enlisted in the mission to promote African fashion designs where I will be using my platform to showcase the beauty of Lagos. This occasion is really special for me, because my heart always beats better whenever I am in Lagos.

“I’ve seen the evolution of the city from when I landed at the airport to when I moved into the metropolis. This speaks so loudly about the growth and how the economy is flourishing.

“On the fashion side, this is exciting news for me because that is the way I express myself. To see the growth in the fashion space, I can’t describe how honoured I am to be part of this project.”

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