The maiden edition of the Afro-Euro Runway, a fashion competition organised by the European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria, in collaboration with some EU Member States in Nigeria and the Fashion Academy, Abuja, will hold at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on June 16 2023. The show aims at harnessing the vast potentials of Nigeria’s vibrant fashion industry to drive skills development, youth employment and economic prosperity.

At a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Samuela Isopi, said the show would celebrate the EU’s partnership with Nigeria, which is increasingly focussing attention on the youth, innovation and skills. 

The competition offers an excellent platform for fashion designers to display their collections, promote their brands, network with industry professionals, add value to their brands, connect with fashion enthusiasts across the world, and access regional and international markets.  

Ambassador Isopi was joined at the event by the CEO of The Fashion Academy, Abuja, Nina Kwande, renowned Italian-Nigeria designer, Paolo Sisiano, celebrity influencer and EU brand Ambassador, Enioluwa Adeoluwa. She said participating in the show would be a game changer form the selected designers, with multiplier impact on the Nigeria’s growing industry.  

She said the competition resonates with the European Union’s theme for 2023, which has been designated European Year of Skills.  Describing talents as Nigeria’s biggest assets, she said theme is increasingly reflected in the EU’s programs with Nigeria, including smart agriculture, skill development to increase youth employability and education.

The Ambassador said the EU has identified fashion design while talking about skills because it links cultural heritage and tradition with skills and innovation. According to her, it is one of the most vibrant creative sectors in Europe and in Nigeria, with fashion and high-end industries present in the everyday life of millions of people. EU Member States and European fashion institutions are already collaborating with their counterparts in Nigeria’s fashion industry, and said huge opportunities still exist for more partnership. 

“Fashion is a great Ambassador of European values such as culture, creativity innovation and craftsmanship. This is true also for Nigeria. I am impressed by the creativity, innovation and energy of Nigerian fashion. So, fashion tells who we are and more importantly, it connects people and cultures. The Afro-Euro Runway Competition embodies this spirit of dialogue and collaboration between European creative industries and fashion and Nigerian creative sectors,” she stated.

Seven contestants, who met the pre-selection criteria out of a pool 124 designers who applied for the competition, will showcase their brands at the events. The overall winner of the competition will have the opportunity to participate in the famous Madrid Mercedes Benz Fashion Week; the first runner-up will participate in the Dakar (Senegal) Fashion Week, while the second and third runners up will receive fashion-designing equipment. All contestants will be sponsored to attend a business management training.

In recent times, the European Union has been working to give more space to the youth in its partnership with Nigeria. It is already accelerating support in key sectors to boost skills development, employability, job creation, and inclusive participation, with an aim to tackling some of the causes of unemployment and underemployment.