Nigeria has stepped onto the global design stage with its first-ever government-backed pavilion at the London Design Biennale.
Spearheaded by Itohan Ndukuba, founder of Culture Lab Africa, and featuring the work of designer Myles Igwebuike, the pavilion marks a defining moment for Nigerian design. It not only celebrates heritage but positions Nigerian creativity as a tool for storytelling, influence, and economic growth.
The London Design Biennale, a globally respected forum, invites countries to present design solutions that address real-world challenges, ranging from urban planning to sustainability. Nigeria’s participation in the June 5, 2025 edition stands out as it was the only African country represented.
“It is not just about Nigeria,” Ndukuba told Business Day. “We are representing Africa as a whole, carrying the weight of a continent’s creative potential.”
A story rooted in heritage
At the pavilion’s core is the narrative of Lejja, an ancient iron-smelting site in Enugu State, a testament to Nigeria’s technological ingenuity centuries before colonial influence.
“Many Nigerians don’t even know about Lejja,” Ndukuba said, “yet it is a profound piece of our history.”
The installation, developed with input from tech innovator Chidi Nwaubani, blended interactive digital storytelling with traditional motifs. Visitors can touch digital artifacts that trigger immersive responses.
Partnering with Igwebuike, whose work is steeped in Southeastern Nigerian traditions, was a natural choice for Ndukuba. “Myles translates cultural memory into design systems,” she explained. His global footprint—highlighted by a collaboration with luxury brand Technogym at Milan Design Week—made him an ideal collaborator. “This wasn’t an open call,” Ndukuba noted. “The Biennale’s curators already admired his sensibility. We built this together, aligning our vision for Nigerian design.”
Design as soft power and economic driver
For Ndukuba, design is more than art, it is a tool of soft power and economic transformation. “When people understand your culture, your values, they trust and connect with you,” she said. “That’s where collaboration begins.” The pavilion embodies this philosophy, inviting international audiences to see Nigerian design not as an echo of Western trends but as a distinct language with global relevance.
This authenticity, she argues, is key to economic empowerment. “If we mimic others, we’re just another voice in a crowded room,” Ndukuba said. “But when we design from our truth, we offer something unique—something valuable.” Igwebuike’s work, alongside contributions from talents like textile designer Banke Kuku, who crafted bespoke postcards for the pavilion, exemplifies this approach, blending heritage with innovation to command attention and investment.
The Nigerian government’s backing, via the Ministry of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, signals a shift toward recognising design’s economic potential. “This is about ‘Nigeria Everywhere,” Ndukuba said, referencing the ministry’s initiative to elevate the creative sector’s contribution to GDP.
Yet securing funding remains a hurdle. “People hear ‘design’ and think aesthetics,” she lamented. “They don’t see it as the foundation of tech or infrastructure.” For this project, arts patrons filled the gap, but Ndukuba hopes the pavilion will spark broader investment in design-led innovation.
Breaking barriers for African creatives
Nigeria’s solo presence at the Biennale underscores a broader issue: African creatives’ underrepresentation globally. “Too often, our success is measured by Western validation,” Ndukuba said. “But West Africa alone has 450 million people—a market and cultural powerhouse.”
Culture Lab Africa is tackling this by fostering intra-African networks, offering travel grants to West African creatives for regional exchange. “We’re building a pan-African design consciousness,” she added.
Systemic challenges persist—limited access to funding, information, and infrastructure—but Ndukuba sees momentum. “Nigeria is on a cultural upswing—music, film, fashion, now design,” she said. “The world is watching. We need to move beyond icons like Burna Boy and build a pipeline of talent.”
A vision for the future
Beyond the Biennale, Culture Lab Africa aims to nurture a sustainable creative ecosystem across West Africa. Partnerships with entities like the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) and policy advocacy, via Ndukuba’s role on the board of MWANKOM, which publishes ‘Rolling Stone Africa’, are laying the groundwork. “We’re shaping cultural diplomacy,” she said, “placing our creatives at the centre of global conversations.”
As visitors explore Nigeria’s pavilion, Ndukuba hopes they leave with a new perspective. “We are not waiting for the world to validate us,” she declared. “We are validating ourselves—and rewriting the narrative.”
