At the CANEX weekend in Lagos, Nigeria, Africa Made It launched its Power, Protect and Purchase campaign, which seeks to unlock USD 34 billion in annual gross domestic product (GDP) contribution by moving Africa from raw cotton exports to end-to-end local garment processing.
The raw cotton gap#
Research by Africa Practice finds that Africa exports up to 98% of its raw cotton overseas and captures only 2% of its total value. The continent also incurs a USD 35 billion annual trade deficit.
Africa Made It describes itself as the continental movement driving Africa’s industrial sovereignty. It is driven by a consortium of pan-African organisations, advocacy groups and media organisations that position Africa as a global investment hub.
Three pillars of the campaign#
The campaign focuses on the fibre-to-fashion value chain and rests on three pillars:
- Power: securing competitive energy supply for local industrial mills
- Protect: enacting policy measures to shield emerging domestic manufacturers from unfair foreign imports
- Purchase: encouraging African consumers to buy locally manufactured apparel
Together, the three pillars are intended to keep value created from African resources on African soil.
Projected economic impact#
Africa Practice research estimates that building domestic processing capacity in spinning, weaving and sewing locally produced cotton would deliver:
- nearly two million permanent industrial jobs
- approximately USD 33 billion injected directly into domestic household incomes every year
- a recurring contribution of USD 34 billion to the continent’s GDP
The campaign also sets out a USD 1.8 billion capital allocation toward critical structural enablers for garment transformation, which it describes as the foundation for bridging Africa’s missing middle in the fibre-to-fashion value chain.
Impact on workers and rural communities#
Industrial wages and local lint purchases can increase capital circulation in rural communities, supporting micro-economic activity and contributing to rural poverty reduction. Women currently make up between 70% and 90% of garment factory workers on the continent, and formal employment opportunities for them could expand substantially.
Realising the vision requires targeted investment, supportive trade policies and consumer mobilisation.
“African culture, design, and storytelling influence global fashion, music, and media like never before. Yet, without domestic manufacturing infrastructure, Africa’s creative authority yields very little economic return. Linking raw cotton harvest directly to local processing ensures that the intellectual property, commercial margins, and industrial jobs remain on the continent. It is time to wear our power.”
, Marie Wilke, editor-in-chief of the Africa Made It magazine
Coalition and campaign resources#
The campaign is coordinated by a network of partners including:
- AllAfrica Media
- Africa24
- Africa No Filter
- Africa Practice
- <a href=”https://www.afreximbank.com”>Afreximbank</a>
- AKAS Consulting
- Bird Story Agency
- IC Publications
- Research Alpha
Campaign videos, magazine content and resources are available in English and French.
