Encomium
The Eko Hotel Grand Ballroom, Lagos, became a hub of style and business recently, as industry leaders, creatives, and policymakers gathered for the Miss Nigeria Beauty and Fashion Fair, a two-day event positioning fashion and beauty as critical drivers of economic growth.
Leaning away from the traditional format of a showcase, the fair featured exhibitions, policy conversations, and enterprise-focused engagements, highlighting the growing intersection between creativity and structured business in Nigeria’s fashion and beauty sectors.
Setting the tone, Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, commended the industry’s rising standards and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to supporting it as a key contributor to tourism and economic development. She urged women to move beyond traditional expectations and explore broader opportunities within the sector.
A key moment of the evening came during a sponsor address by MTN Nigeria’s Chief Marketing Officer, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, who emphasised the importance of systems in enabling success. She said, “Most people don’t fail because they lack talent, but because systems were not designed to help them thrive. Women building businesses today are creating value. What they need is partnership and access to markets, finance, and visibility.” She said.
Her remarks underscored a central theme of the event: that the future of fashion and beauty lies in creativity, infrastructure, access, and collaboration.
Miss Nigeria Patron, Dr. Aisha Achimogu, described the platform as one rooted in legacy and intentional development, while the 45th Miss Nigeria Queen, Doris Ogah, encouraged young women to embrace ambition and visibility, as she said: “Do not shrink yourself. Show up for what you believe in, even when it feels uncomfortable,” Ogah said, as she formally announced the commencement of the next national search.
On the runway, emerging designers showcased bold collections, culminating in the announcement of the Young Designer of the Year, a recognition tied to the legacy of the Daily Times fashion competition, and a signal of the industry’s growing talent pipeline.
The second day shifted focus fully to enterprise and scalability. Opening the session, MTN’s Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Lynda Saint-Nwafor, described the platform as a gateway to economic transformation. Her words: “This is where beauty becomes business and ideas become legacies,” she said. “When women succeed, they create opportunities for others and transform industries.”
Panel sessions that followed explored entrepreneurship, funding, and growth. Speakers, including Laura Ikeji Kanu, Lanre Da Silva, Njideka Jack, Chioma Okigbo, and Uche Onwuka, examined the realities of building sustainable businesses in the sector.
Njideka Jack, General Manager, Enterprise Marketing at MTN Nigeria, stressed the importance of structure and data-driven growth. “Passion is not enough. Structure is what sustains a business. If you don’t track your numbers, you can’t scale,” she said.
On financing, Bank of Industry Managing Director, Uche Onwuka, highlighted the link between credibility and access to capital, noting ongoing funding initiatives, including a ₦1 billion matching fund in collaboration with MTN to support women-led enterprises.
Across sessions, a consistent message emerged: sustainable growth requires discipline, knowledge, and intentional systems. By the close of the event, it was clear the gathering had moved beyond celebration and pageantry. It established a framework where fashion meets finance, and where beauty is increasingly recognised not just as art, but as a structured and scalable economic force.
