President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Ms. Omoyemi Akerele, founder of Lagos Fashion Week, on her emergence as one of the five global winners of the prestigious 2025 Earthshot Prize, describing the honour as a testament to Nigeria’s rising global profile in innovation and sustainability.
At the award ceremony held on Wednesday at the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Lagos Fashion Week was announced as the only African enterprise among 2,500 nominees from 72 countries to clinch the coveted prize.
The initiative won in the “Build a Waste-Free World” category for its pioneering work in redefining Africa’s fashion ecosystem through sustainable practices.
With the award, Ms. Akerele’s platform will receive £1 million (approximately ₦1.9 billion) in funding to expand its environmental impact projects and drive innovation in eco-friendly design and production.
The Earthshot Prize, established in 2020 by Britain’s Prince William, is regarded as one of the world’s foremost environmental honours, dedicated to discovering and scaling groundbreaking solutions to the planet’s most pressing ecological challenges.
President Tinubu, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, lauded Ms. Akerele for her “visionary enterprise and enduring commitment to sustainable creativity.”
“The Lagos Fashion Week has not only become a platform for innovation but also for environmentally sustainable creativity. This feat is a clear demonstration of the audacity of vision and purpose. Ms. Akerele stands as an inspiration to many women and men, showing that bold ideas can transform industries and communities”, the President said.
The President further noted that the recognition reinforces Nigeria’s leadership in Africa’s creative economy and global sustainability movement.
He urged other Nigerian innovators to emulate Ms. Akerele’s perseverance and ambition.
“I encourage every Nigerian innovator not to relent on their dreams but to keep pressing forward until they reach the tape of success,” President Tinubu stated.
The Lagos Fashion Week, founded in 2011, has evolved into a major continental platform promoting ethical production, circular design, and the empowerment of local artisans.
