The Nigeria Fashion Week 2026 will debut in Abuja from Oct. 1 to 4, with more than 40 Nigerian and international designers scheduled to showcase their works.
The Chief Executive Officer of the event, Mr Lexy Mojo-Eyes, disclosed this in an interview in Abuja on Tuesday.
Mojo-Eyes said the four-day event would hold at the Soul Lounge Resort, Jahi, as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day.
He said the decision to move the event from Lagos to Abuja was aimed at providing designers with a wider platform to showcase their creativity.
“The Nigeria Fashion Week 2026 is coming to Abuja for the first time, moving away from Lagos.
“It will give Nigerian designers an opportunity to reinvent themselves, discover themselves and excel, while showing the world what they can do in the fashion ecosystem.
“It will also welcome international designers, and this year altogether, we have over 40 designers showcasing both Nigerian and international designs,” he said.
He said the event would open on Oct. 1 with a welcome cocktail organised in collaboration with the Africa Business Club, while the official opening would take place on Oct. 2 and be co-hosted by the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy.
Mojo-Eyes said three runway shows would be held daily during the first two days at noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., featuring different designers.
He added that fashion entrepreneurs would also exhibit their products alongside the runway shows.
Mojo-Eyes said the final day would focus on strengthening the business side of the fashion industry through the Nigeria Fashion Entrepreneurial Forum.
“This year, what is different from the previous year is that we will be stepping up the game.
“It is not just the showcase or the creativity, but to turn creativity into entrepreneurship, into business. That is what we are trying to do,” he said.
He said the forum, scheduled for Oct. 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., would bring together policymakers, financial institutions, fashion entrepreneurs and international buyers.
“We are going to have policymakers in the house from government and financial institutions as well as fashion entrepreneurs.
“We are also going to have buyers and international buyers that are going to be in the house to see how creativity can be turned into serious business,” he said.
The CEO said the event would conclude on Oct. 4 with the Nigeria Fashion Awards and Gala Fashion Night at 6 p.m.
According to him, the awards would recognise stakeholders who had contributed to the growth and development of Nigeria’s fashion industry.
Mojo-Eyes said the 2026 edition was designed to combine fashion creativity with entrepreneurship, investment and opportunities for designers to access wider markets.
The Nigeria Fashion Week is an annual platform that brings together fashion designers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to showcase Nigerian fashion and promote industry development.
