Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has disclosed that Nigeria loses approximately $3 billion each year to foreign manufacturers of ankara, a widely popular wax print in West and Central Africa.
Musawa made this statement while speaking at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND) 2024, held in Algiers last week.
In a statement by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Nneka Anibeze, Musawa highlighted the need to empower Africa’s fashion and textile industry, noting that fabrics such as adire, kente, bogolan, and ankara represent Africa’s heritage, pride, and identity.
“Despite this heritage, it is deeply ironic that many of the fabrics we cherish, such as ankara, are predominantly produced outside Africa,” Musawa stated.
“Nearly 90 percent of the ankara consumed on our continent is imported, leading to an annual loss of approximately $3 billion to foreign manufacturers. We must change this.”
