Our Identity
About
MAFEST
Our Story
Born from a
Continent's Ambition
MAFEST — Meet Africa Fashion Festival — is a pan-African creative economy platform that celebrates African fashion, culture, and innovation.
Its vision is to position Africa as a global powerhouse in fashion and garment by showcasing indigenous creativity, embracing and promoting sustainable production, as well as building a thriving ecosystem beneficial to the entire mix of the value chain — including Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG).
MAFEST is therefore an annual convergence of Africa's most influential designers, models, fashion retailers, media houses, policymakers, cultural enthusiasts, and global investors.
The Federal Government has endorsed MAFEST 2026/27, hence we are inviting strategic partners to align with this nationally supported continental platform. With key Ministries, Departments and Agencies fully involved in the packaging and delivery of the 2026/27 editions, MAFEST has become a Federally Endorsed Continental Fashion & Trade Platform.
The festival's multifaceted programming includes runway shows, exhibitions, B2G conference, workshops, masterclasses, and digital engagements — positioning it as a transformative event capable of driving continental conversations and investments in the creative economy.
Charles Ozoemena
President, MAFEST
10+
Years of Excellence
Our Vision
To become Africa's foremost platform for fashion, creativity, culture, innovation and enterprise, inspiring the continent to take its rightful place in the global creative economy.
Our Mission
To discover, develop, celebrate and connect African creative talent by providing world-class platforms for fashion, culture, innovation, education, investment and international collaboration, while advancing sustainable development, cultural diplomacy and economic transformation throughout Africa.
What We Stand For
Core Values
Excellence
We uphold the highest standards of creativity, professionalism and impact in everything we do.
Pan-African Unity
We celebrate and amplify the diversity of Africa's 54 nations through the universal language of fashion.
Economic Empowerment
We create tangible economic opportunities for designers, artisans and fashion entrepreneurs across the continent.
Global Positioning
We position African fashion as a world-class creative force deserving equal prestige on the international stage.
Sustainability
We champion responsible fashion practices that honor the environment and support sustainable business models.
Innovation
We embrace the fusion of heritage craft and modern technology to drive the fashion industry forward.
MAFEST 2026/27
Impact Projections
SMEs Trained Impact
150+
Young fashion entrepreneurs from Nigeria and Africa trained in sustainable fashion and waste-to-fashion upcycling.
Jobs Created Impact
5000+
Direct and indirect jobs created across the fashion, textile, and garment industries through MAFEST activities.
Digital Reach Impact
20M+
Online impressions across social media, live streaming and international media coverage of the festival.
The People Behind MAFEST
Our Team
Engr. Cornell Sams Opara
Director of ICT
Ruth Oiza Ajayi
Director, Welfare, Logistics and Hospitality
Felix Ikona
Executive Secretary
Femi Nosa James
Chief Operation Officer
Modela
Director of Production/Show Producer
Alex Odiase
Director of Digital Creativity
Deji Moore
Director, Fashion Segment/Ass Show Producer
Prof Jude Osakwe
Continental Chairman, NIDO Africa & MAFEST Executive Director Conference and Exhibition
Emmanuel Oyovwikigbo
Director Protocol and Logistics
Sule Musa Unekwuojo
Director of Finance and International Liaisons
Emeka Ike
Assist. Director Marketing & Sponsorship
Engr. Evidence Aboroh
Rep, NIDO Africa, Ghana
Dayo Showowimo
Head Corporate Communications
William Mkude
Country Representative, Tanzania
DJ Seca Boca Sisse
Country Representative, Guinea-Bissau
Justice Vibration Zabayor
Country Representative, The Gambia
Carthy Maquia
Country Rep, Mozambique
Samuel Ekow Johnson
Liaison - West Africa, Ghana
Laura P Haludilu
Country Rep, Namibia
Ebuka Luck Osunbor Enaruna
Country Rep, Cabo Verde
Voices from the Community
Designer Testimonials
"MAFEST gave Modela Couture a global stage we could never have accessed alone. The platform doesn't just showcase African fashion — it repositions it. After our debut runway, we received inquiries from buyers in Paris, Dubai, and New York within the same week. This is exactly what African designers have been waiting for — a stage that meets the world on our terms."
Adebayo Adegbe
Creative Director, Modela Couture
Nigeria
"I have shown in Milan, in Marrakech, in Cape Town — but nothing prepared me for the energy of MAFEST. The audience understood the references, the craft, the story behind every seam. By the end of the night I had three international stockists and a collaboration with a Lagos textile house. It changed the trajectory of my brand."
Amina Diallo
Founder, Amina Paris–Dakar
Senegal
"I came to MAFEST as an emerging designer with a small studio and a big idea. I left with mentors, manufacturers, and a community that believed in me before I had proven myself. The business summit alone reframed how I think about scale, pricing, and export. Six months later we are in four countries."
Zara Osei
Founder, Zara Osei Studio
Kenya
"What sets MAFEST apart is that it treats African designers as the headline, not the cultural curio at the side of someone else's show. The production values, the press, the buyer network — everything is built to put our work in the conversation it deserves. I signed my first European distribution deal in the VIP lounge."
Thandiwe Mokoena
Creative Director, Thandiwe Atelier
South Africa
"We work entirely with handwoven Aso Oke and natural dyes, and we were nervous about how that would translate on an international runway. MAFEST built a whole narrative around heritage craft — the buyers didn't just see fabric, they saw generations of skill. Our order book filled before we even left Abuja."
Ngozi Eze
Co-Founder, Oke & Indigo
Nigeria
"As a menswear designer, I often felt African fashion platforms leaned away from us. MAFEST gave menswear a full headline slot with the same production budget and press attention as the womenswear shows. The result: a capsule collaboration with a global retailer and coverage in three international magazines."
Kwame Asante
Founder, Asante & Sons
Ghana
Publications
Annual Reports
Annual Report
2025
Annual Report
2024
Annual Report
2023
Official Publication
MAFEST Brochure
Request the official MAFEST 2026/27 Brochure detailing conference sideline and sponsorship opportunities. We'll send it straight to your inbox.
Federal endorsement & government coordination
Impact projections — 20M+ digital reach, 100+ exhibitors
Sponsorship packages & exhibition arena details
Partnership benefits across 20+ countries