‘How Africa’s fashion value chain can catalyse SDGs’

A group, Global Fashion Value Chain (GFVC) Federation of Africa, at the weekend, said if the continent’s fashion value chain is thoroughly explored, it will help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN).

Its chairperson, Leslie Becker, in a note confirming the appointment of a Nigerian, Dr. Oyedokun Ayodeji Oyewole, as chairman,  said the untapped potential presented by the continent’s fashion value chain in a disruptive global era and African Union’s Continental Free-Trade market have made collective multi-stakeholder partnership inevitable to acchieve high impact leadership role in re-industrialising the entire chain.

She said the group will “identify and develop new innovative policies, and present Africa with a single common visionary roadmap that will unlock the entire African fashion value chain’s economic potential, achieve the 2030 SDGs, and GFVC Federation ofAfrica’s vision”.

Becker said Dr Oyedokun will supervise the Federation that was established in 2016 and designed for Africa’s benefit to create jobs and improve the one per cent global manufacturing of Africa’s 1.3 billion population.

She said Dr. Oyedokun who is the President and Chairman, Governing Council, Institute of Information Management (IIM Africa), will bring his wealth of experience to harness the opportunity to map, integrate and disrupt the entire fragmented industry ecosystem on the basis of the fourth industrial revolution principles. She said through partnerships, the group will build the first smart institution of excellence with international and continental senior industry experts.

Speaking on the appointment, Dr Oyedokun said: “I feel excited to have been recognised by GFVC Federation of Africa and to be part of this great initiative aimed at benefiting the entire continent, especially in the area of job creation for the youths.”

GFVC’s vision is to develop a robust, disruptive African fashion value chain economy that solidifies the continent’s position in global manufacturing as innovative, competitive and globally trusted institution of excellence in smart manufacturing, trade and investment.