Africa Made It, a pan-African industrialisation movement, has launched a campaign aimed at unlocking $34 billion in annual gross domestic product (GDP) contribution by shifting Africa from exporting unprocessed cotton to manufacturing garments locally.
The campaign, tagged ‘Power, Protect and Purchase,’ was officially unveiled at the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) Weekend in Lagos, Nigeria, with a focus on strengthening the continent’s fibre-to-fashion value chain and retaining more economic value from its natural resources.
The initiative seeks to address structural weaknesses in Africa’s textile and garment industry, where the continent exports most of its raw cotton but captures only a fraction of the potential economic benefits through local processing and manufacturing.
According to research by Africa Practice, Africa exports as much as 98 percent of its raw cotton overseas, capturing only two percent of its total value, while recording an annual trade deficit of approximately $35 billion.
The movement estimates that developing domestic capacity across spinning, weaving and garment production could create nearly two million permanent industrial jobs, inject about $33 billion annually into household incomes and contribute $34 billion to the continent’s GDP each year.
The campaign is built around three pillars: securing affordable and competitive energy for local textile and garment factories, implementing policies that protect emerging manufacturers from unfair foreign competition, and encouraging African consumers to purchase locally manufactured clothing.
These measures are expected to strengthen domestic production capacity, improve the competitiveness of African manufacturers and ensure that more of the value generated from the continent’s cotton remains within its economies.
The initiative also places emphasis on the social and employment benefits of developing the garment industry, particularly in rural communities and among women.
Africa Made It said increased demand for locally produced cotton could support farmers through domestic purchases of lint, while industrial wages would stimulate economic activity and improve household incomes in rural areas.
Women stand to benefit significantly from the expansion of the sector, as they account for between 70 and 90 percent of garment factory workers across the continent, according to the initiative.
However, achieving the proposed transformation will require substantial investment in industrial infrastructure, reliable energy supply, manufacturing capacity and supportive trade policies.
Africa Made It estimates that $1.8 billion in capital allocation towards critical structural enablers will be required to bridge the missing middle in Africa’s fibre-to-fashion value chain.
The funding is expected to support the infrastructure and industrial capabilities needed to move cotton production beyond the farm gate into higher-value activities such as spinning, weaving, textile production and garment manufacturing.
Marie Wilke, editor-in-chief of Africa Made It magazine, said the continent’s growing influence in global fashion and creative industries has not translated into commensurate economic returns because of its limited domestic manufacturing infrastructure.
“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,” Wilke said.
She added that connecting raw cotton production directly to local processing would help retain intellectual property, commercial margins and industrial employment opportunities within the continent.
“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,” she said.
Chinwe Michael is a Nigerian business journalist and media professional with over 4 years of experience covering companies, financial markets, banking, fintech, economic policy, financial inclusion, and corporate affairs. She currently leads the Companies & Markets desk at BusinessDay, where she drives coverage of Nigeria’s corporate and capital markets, translates complex financial data into accessible stories, and mentors younger journalists. Prior to that, she was the head of the financial inclusion/fintech desk. With a background in banking and finance and extensive experience in media and communications, Michael has developed expertise in financial journalism, economic analysis, investigative reporting and market intelligence. Her work examines how monetary policy, corporate performance, capital flows, technology, and regulatory decisions affect businesses, investors, and households. She was selected from about 3,000 applicants as one of 20 journalists for Cohort 4 of the MTN Media Innovation Programme, gaining exposure to new approaches to journalism, technology, and media innovation. Her international journalism experience and engagement with professionals across Russia, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and others in different sectors have further broadened her understanding of global communication and development.
