Ciara Hails Lagos’ Creative Energy, Joins Sanwo-Olu to Launch Fashion Week

American singer and Grammy award-winning performer Ciara Princess Wilson joined Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on Friday to officially open Lagos Fashion Week 2025, ringing the ceremonial closing gong to mark the start of the four-day event.

Ciara, who arrived in Lagos a day earlier, said the city’s pace, culture, and fashion scene continue to inspire her. She pledged to use her global audience to spotlight Lagos’ style culture, calling the city “a place where creativity never sleeps.”

“Every time I’m in Lagos, I feel the heartbeat of something bigger the talent, the colour, the movement,” she said. “I’m excited to support this wave of African fashion and help amplify it on the world stage.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu described the fashion week as a strategic platform that goes beyond runway shows, stressing its value in job creation, innovation, export opportunities, and tourism appeal.

He noted that Lagos is building policies to enable fashion entrepreneurs to expand into international markets, adding that the state’s partnership with the NGX is designed to attract investment into the creative economy.

“Lagos is already the creative capital of the continent,” the governor said. “What we are doing now is scaling that capacity, turning talent into global brands and turning fashion into a strong economic driver.”

Following the Exchange ceremony, the governor hosted designers and industry leaders to a private brunch at Lagos House, Marina, where Ciara also met with local creatives and investors.

Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed that Lagos will continue to support the fashion sector through infrastructure, export pathways, and access to financing, positioning the state as Africa’s fashion and culture gateway.