Fashion and technology experts have urged Nigeria to modernise its fashion industry to secure its identity in the global economy. They recently revealed that failure to do so will result in the world continuously profiting from African heritage without crediting its true origin.
Speaking during a panel session in Ikoyi, Lagos titled “Stitching the Future: AI and Tech in Nigerian Fashion,” the panelists, including Director of Copyright for Lagos State, Lynda Alphaeus; an international fashion designer, Chinenye Ezurike; and Director of the UK–Nigeria Technology Hub, Oyinkan Akintola Bello, agreed that Nigeria must act quickly to ward off foreign companies trying to take local cultural heritage and claim it as their own.
The event, hosted by Misi Africa and Naomi Williams, united experts from technology, copyright regulation, and fashion design to discuss how innovation can transform Nigeria’s creative economy.
According to the host, Misi Africa, ideas easily get stolen in the fashion industry; therefore, Nigeria must embrace technology as soon as possible to preserve its valuable identity.
She stated that technology will go a long way towards protecting our property and scaling it across the globe.
“If Nigeria doesn’t embrace technology quickly, what’s going to happen is our ideas are going to be stolen just like they’ve been stolen over the years.
They will take all of our IP, things such as Adire and Aso Oke, and they’re going to make it into their own. But technology gives us the power to protect what is ours and scale it globally,” she said.
Chinenye Ezurike further noted that AI already plays a major role in her work, stressing that it helps designers to avoid waste and decrease production time.
“For me, I only needed one physical sample for my latest collection because I used a 3D design app to visualize the clothing fully before producing it. AI helps fashion brands work faster and more efficiently,” she stated.
Lynda Alphaeus concluded by underscoring the importance of legal protection alongside technology.
“One of the most important things the government must do is enlightenment.
Designers need to understand the rights the law has given them and how to protect their work. Artistic fashion designs can be registered under copyright, and mass-produced styles can be registered as industrial designs. Both provide protection,” she added.
