The Ananse Centre for Design Lagos has graduated more than 30 budding fashion entrepreneurs from its first Fashion Incubator Scholarship Programme, representing a significant achievement in the organisation's effort to develop Africa's next crop of globally competitive fashion businesses.
The ceremony took place at the Ananse Centre for Design Lagos in Ikate, Lekki, where graduates celebrated completing one of Nigeria's most rigorous fashion incubation programmes despite entering with minimal or no prior industry experience.
Over several months, the cohort trained extensively in fashion design, leatherwork, garment production, quality assurance, sustainability, product development, entrepreneurship, branding, e-commerce and market access. These skills prepared them to launch and expand viable fashion ventures.
Sam Mensah, founder and chief executive of Ananse Africa, said the centre exists to arm aspiring entrepreneurs with technical knowledge while creating pathways to scale globally. "Africa has no shortage of talent.
What has often been missing is access to world-class training, infrastructure and commercial opportunities," he told attendees at the graduation.
He added: "The Ananse Centre for Design was created to bridge that gap, giving aspiring entrepreneurs not only technical skills, but also the business knowledge, production capabilities and market access they need to build sustainable fashion brands."
Onome Umukoro, hub country lead for Africa, characterised the first cohort's graduation as a beginning rather than an end. "Today's graduation isn't the finish line — it's the beginning," she said.
Umukoro noted that graduates would continue accessing market opportunities through Ananse's broader ecosystem. "We're incredibly proud of what this cohort has achieved, but our role doesn't stop here.
Through Ananse's wider ecosystem, graduates continue to have opportunities to produce, create content, access new markets and grow their businesses," she explained.
A runway showcase featuring original collections designed and made by graduates highlighted the creativity and entrepreneurial thinking honed throughout the programme. The event demonstrated the calibre of work emerging from the initiative.
The Fashion Incubator Scholarship Programme operates through partnerships with the Mastercard Foundation, ISHK Tolaram Foundation and TVET, uniting organisations focused on expanding youth opportunities and strengthening Africa's creative economy.
Graduates gain ongoing access to production facilities, content creation services, business support, digital commerce and market opportunities within the wider Ananse ecosystem. These resources help talented individuals become commercially viable fashion enterprises.
Ananse operates across six African countries and continues investing in infrastructure, education and commercial platforms designed to elevate African fashion globally while creating sustainable income for designers, artisans and creative entrepreneurs.
