Eme Bassey represents Cafet at 2023 creative economy summit

The Centre for African Fashion Education and Technology (CAFET) proudly participated in the esteemed Creative Economy Summit 2023, hosted by The Enterprise Development Centre at Radisson Blu, Victoria Island, Lagos, on November 23, 2023. Eme Bassey, representing CAFET, took the stage as a distinguished panelist, sharing valuable insights on the theme, “Tapping Into the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): Opportunities to Boost Market Access for Creatives in Africa.”

The summit, a convergence of youth-led micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs), entrepreneurs, creative visionaries, non-governmental organizations, EDC Programs beneficiaries, and civil society organizations, provided a dynamic platform for the exchange of knowledge and the elevation of emerging talents. As one of its key highlights, the event featured the finals of the Creative Business Cup Nigeria 2023, showcasing the nation’s brightest creative businesses.

As a panelist, Eme Bassey unpacked the implications of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for the creative industry. AfCFTA, a groundbreaking trade agreement among African nations, aims to create a single market by eliminating trade barriers, promoting the free movement of goods and services, and fostering economic integration across the continent.

During the panel discussion, Eme emphasized the critical role of education in surmounting cross-border trade barriers and facilitating the movement of fashion products within Africa. She underscored the importance of technical and formal education in nurturing industry growth and developing products suitable for export. In addition, Eme stressed the need for mass education on available export opportunities and how creatives can capitalize on them.

Addressing the cross-border trade barriers, Eme discussed the standardization challenge. She highlighted the importance of uniformity in sizing, labeling, and packaging to enhance customer experience, reduce returns, and ultimately boost intra-Africa trade under the free trade agreement.

Eme also shed light on how the AfCFTA addresses intellectual property rights through its legal framework, enforcement mechanisms, and information-sharing protocols. She emphasized that protecting intellectual rights requires creatives to be original creators and be educated on patenting and protecting their work from the outset.

Concluding her insightful contributions, Eme underscored how the creative sector can contribute to achieving broader economic and development goals outlined by the African Union and individual African nations within the free trade area. She elaborated on how the fashion industry can enhance livelihoods through employment and entrepreneurship, increase productivity and innovation through education and vocational training, and boost global competitiveness and diversification through technology adoption. Drawing parallels

with success stories from countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam, Eme highlighted the potential for these pathways to drive significant GDP growth across African nations.

CAFET remains committed to fostering the growth and global competitiveness of the African fashion industry through education, technology, and strategic partnerships. The organization looks forward to actively contributing to the realization of the AfCFTA’s transformative impact on the continent’s creative economy.