Ethnocentrique closes fashion programme with 10,000 jobs

Ethnocentrique has concluded the second edition of The Fashion Games, a two-day activation marking the end of the pilot phase of the Fashion Future Programme, a Mastercard Foundation programme implemented in partnership with Ethnocentrique in Aba, Abia State.

The closing event, held in Aba, highlighted key milestones of the programme, including over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs created, more than 4,000 MSMEs supported, and 282 persons with disabilities who have launched businesses through the initiative. Women reportedly make up over 80 percent of participants.

Day one of the event brought together government officials, financial institutions, fashion industry stakeholders and MSMEs to examine how Nigeria’s fashion sector can scale sustainably.

Discussions focused on production inefficiencies, access to finance, and the need for structured systems to support growth in the sector.

Speaking at the event, Programme Coordinator of the Fashion Future Programme, Jeremiah Ubunama, said the initiative was designed to reposition fashion as an economic driver rather than just a creative pursuit.

“When we came to Aba, we asked a simple question: what if we stop seeing fashion as style and start seeing it as an economy? Since then, we’ve reached over 10,000 people and supported the creation of more than 4,000 MSMEs,” he said.

He added that the programme had also facilitated over N200m in orders through its market activation platform.

Also speaking, Ethnocentrique Chief Executive Officer, Irunna Ejibe, said fragmentation remained a major challenge in the creative sector, stressing the need for stronger coordination between stakeholders.

“Ecosystems don’t fail from lack of effort, but from lack of coordination. What we’ve built is a model that connects skills, finance, policy and enterprise into one clear pathway,” she said.

Ejibe noted that the programme had introduced a coordinated MSME support structure in partnership with the Abia State Government, including a steering committee to align government, finance and enterprise actors.

She also revealed that 99 MSMEs have been clustered into registered cooperatives to improve access to financing and business support.

The event also featured a youth-led runway show, a business pitch competition with cash prizes, and a market agreement between the Abia State Ministry of Sports and Youth Development and Ethnocentrique to promote local sourcing from Aba-based producers.

On day two, Country Director of Mastercard Foundation in Nigeria, Rosy Fynn, said the programme had exceeded its targets, particularly in youth participation, inclusion and enterprise development.

Similarly, Alex Otti reaffirmed the state’s commitment to strengthening local production and positioning Aba as a competitive hub in the global fashion industry.

According to a statement shared with Society Plus, the Fashion Future Programme has trained and certified over 6,000 young people under the National Skills Qualifications Framework, while more than 100 Business Development Service Providers have supported over 4,000 MSMEs across Abia State.

With the pilot phase now concluded, organisers say the model has demonstrated the impact of structured systems in scaling Africa’s fashion industry, setting the stage for broader implementation.