Innovate UK Global Alliance Africa Leads Circular Fashion Initiative in Nigeria

Vanessa Obioha

Globally, fast fashion is the go-to choice for many individuals seeking trendy wardrobes on a budget. This trend has led established fashion houses to create sub-brands, often relying on cheap materials, including plastics, to meet demand and gain market share.

The convenience of fast fashion, however, comes at a significant cost. Overconsumption and the resulting textile waste have become pressing issues, disrupting environmental equilibrium through chemical pollution and high carbon emissions.

Recognizing the urgent need for change and driving the conversation on sustainability in fashion, Innovate UK Global Alliance Africa has launched the UK-Nigeria Circular Fashion Global Innovation Network. Through collaborative efforts between the UK and Nigeria, it aims to foster active bilateral collaboration by convening innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and researchers from the UK and Nigeria to promote the adoption and development of circular fashion products and services.

To achieve this, it noted three key focus areas that include: Redefining chemicals in production and manufacturing; recycling and upcycling of textiles, and innovating substantial materials for sustainable fabrics.

According to the Head, Global Alliance Africa, Dr Neo-Joo Teh, Innovate UK Global Alliance Africa is a six-year project funded by the UK International Development through Innovate UK (GCRF), and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. The project is driven by a shared concern of the UK, which reads in part from an official statement:

“With a shared passion for entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation, now is the time for UK companies to strengthen their partnerships with Africa and boost jobs and drive prosperity both at home and overseas. The challenges facing Africa are not Africa’s alone. It is the world’s interest to see these jobs created.”

The project primarily focuses on SMEs and startup companies to drive this sustainable economic growth and development programme. To that effect, it carried out research to better understand the Nigerian fashion and textiles ecosystem, using Lagos (87 per cent of the survey) as a case study.

Providing insights to the yet-to-be-released report titled Nigeria Fashion And Textiles Ecosystem Study Report: Gaps And Opportunities, Co-founder, CEIP, Dr Natalie Beinisch highlighted key areas for consideration by stakeholders in her paper presentation.

She noted that the sector is predominantly occupied by SMEs, most of which “performed multiple ecosystem roles.” Consequently, the SMEs are still in the process of evolving towards specialisation. On a positive note, Beinisch said that there is room for improvement and growth in the sector. She recommended that stakeholders place greater emphasis on improving adire and dyeing techniques, embracing the use of natural fibres, leveraging technology to prolong the lifespan of textiles, and implementing more efficient methods for transforming waste materials.

Echoing Beinisch’s sentiments, Founder, Nike Art Gallery, Nike Okundaye revealed that the culture of shifting to using biodegradable dyeing techniques is slowly taking off with the extraction of dye components from organic raw materials like kola nut, millet, hibiscus, and ginger, albeit limited investments to scale the production of these much-needed raw materials.

The fashion and textiles industry alone accounts for 10 per cent of global gas emissions, and 12 per cent of industrial pollutants, with 60 per cent of all fashion industry materials made from plastics. Special Adviser on Climate Change and Circular Economy to the Governor of Lagos State, Titilayo Oshodi noted that based on the growth trajectory of the industry in Nigeria, the sector’s revenue is expected to hit $1.2 trillion this year, and $1.9 million from a CAGR of 9.09 per cent by 2029. These figures suggest increasingly severe consequences.

To mitigate the impending doom, Oshodi advised stakeholders to prioritise circular education and advocacy, promote sustainable fashion practices, improve waste management, and encourage funding, research, and development in the sector.

While the harmful impacts of excessive consumption in the fashion industry are clear, strides are being made in biotechnology to address these issues. For example, engineering enzymes for in-situ enzyme-catalysed colouration and recycling low-value or waste wool feedstocks represent steps towards a more sustainable fashion industry. Biotechnological innovations offer promising solutions for reducing the environmental impact of textile production, leading towards a greener future in fashion.

Professor Jinsong Shen, a professor of textile chemistry and biotechnology at the School Of Fashion And Textiles, UK explained that the shift to enzymes is more efficient because enzymatic reactions are specific, reusable, and operate under mild conditions as opposed to harsh chemicals, making it safe and easy to control.