As local talent becomes increasingly important in the global market, Nigeria’s creative economy is reaching a crucial turning point. Leading this transformation is Ethnocentrique, a social enterprise with a bold mission to reshape Nigeria’s MSME-driven creative sectors into engines of youth employment and sustainable growth.
Its flagship initiative, the Fashion Future Program (FFP), implemented in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, is transforming Aba, Abia State, into a thriving hub of youth innovation and enterprise. Targeted at vulnerable young people, the program delivers hands-on, industry-relevant training in garment-making, shoemaking, and leather works, using a vetted skill framework to ensure globally standardized outcomes. With over 2,000 young people already trained, the program goes beyond technical skills—embedding entrepreneurship, mindset reorientation, mentorship and practical apprenticeships through the Igbo apprenticeship system, that leads to job placements.
The impact of the Fashion Future Program extends deeper by actively supporting small fashion businesses through structured guidance on operational efficiency, access to finance, market linkages, intellectual property protection, and formal registration. To foster sustainability, Ethnocentrique established 25 fashion clusters across Aba—that enable shared learning, collective bargaining, access to bulk production contracts, and increased competitiveness in regional and global markets.
This holistic vision was underscored in a recent high-level meeting between a delegation from Ethnocentrique, led by CEO Irunna Ejibe, and the Executive Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti. The strategic dialogue focused on skilling and supporting youth-led enterprises across the state, policy recommendations for the prioritization of Aba-based MSMEs for government procurement, easier access to equipment financing for young entrepreneurs, business registration processes, and the expansion of Common Facility Centers (CFCs) to enhance quality control and scalability.
Program Coordinator Jeremiah Ubunama shared the program’s goal of reaching 5,000 young people and 4,000 fashion MSMEs, citing Aba’s legacy in fashion and its vibrant youth population as key assets. “We’re not just training individuals; we’re building a fashion economy by scaling its workforce,” he said.
Governor Alex Otti lauded the initiative, commending Ethnocentrique’s commitment to inclusive growth and local industry development. He expressed his administration’s willingness to support and scale the program’s success across Abia. In a symbolic close to the meeting, the Ethnocentrique team presented the Governor with a handcrafted piece of Akwete, a traditional fabric local to Abia State reinforcing the company’s core belief that indigenous craftsmanship is not just cultural heritage but a valuable economic asset.
The team also invited his excellency to the much-anticipated upcoming Fashion Games on April 30th at Aba, a showcase of graduating youth talent, creativity, sportsmanship and enterprise readiness championed by Ethnocentrique. The organization remains steadfast in its mission: to build a resilient, inclusive, and globally competitive fashion ecosystem—starting from Aba, but ultimately reimagining what’s possible for Nigeria’s creative economy.
