The 2025 edition of Design Week Lagos (DWL) has concluded with resounding success, transforming the city into a dynamic showcase of African innovation and creativity under the theme “Made in Africa: Shaping Industries, Shaping Futures.”
Held from October 23 to 28, 2025, this year’s festival marked the most ambitious edition yet, drawing designers, architects, artists, and policymakers from across the continent and beyond. The six-day celebration highlighted Africa’s potential as a driving force in global design, tourism, and creative industries.
Featuring prominent speakers such as Bibi Seck, Victoria Adesanmi, Myles Igwebuike, Yew Kee Cheong (President, American Institute of Architects), and Astrid Hébert (3C Awards), the event brought together thought leaders to explore how design can serve as a catalyst for industrial and cultural transformation.
At the heart of the festival were flagship events like the Design + Innovation Exhibition and the Made by Design Show, complemented by more than 100 citywide activations and showrooms across Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki, and Yaba. Among the highlights were Roots & Resilience at the Federal Palace Hotel, Design Intersect 2025 at Soto Gallery, and the Launch of the Institute of Professional Interior Designers & Product Inventors (IPIDPI) at Alliance Française — a landmark moment for Nigeria’s design sector.
The launch of IPIDPI signaled a new chapter for the country’s creative economy. As the new regulatory and licensing authority for interior design and product invention, the institute will set professional standards, streamline education, and certify practitioners.
The Student Design Competition, organised in partnership with Caverton Marine, also stood out as a key highlight, challenging emerging designers to reimagine the future of maritime mobility through innovation and sustainability.
The festival opened with a VIP private viewing at The Nahous, Federal Palace Hotel, before expanding into a citywide celebration that seamlessly blended art, architecture, technology, and culture.
Anchored by the Lagos State Government and supported by the Federal Ministry of Tourism, the 2025 edition reinforced Lagos’ status as Africa’s creative capital. Declaring the event open, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, Lagos State’s Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, said the festival aligns with the state’s vision of positioning Lagos as a global destination for creativity and design-driven enterprise.
Reflecting on the festival’s success, Titi Ogufere, Founder of Design Week Lagos, described the 2025 edition as a defining moment for Africa’s design ecosystem.
“It has been an extraordinary journey since our debut in 2019. This year, DWL reaffirmed our mission that design is a powerful language—one that tells our stories, shapes our economies, and connects Lagos to the global conversation on creativity and innovation. The momentum of Design Week Lagos underscores the massive potential that design tourism holds, not just for Lagos and Nigeria, but for the entire continent,” she said.
According to Ogufere, the festival’s growth reflects Africa’s increasing influence in the global creative economy. “We are now recognized as Africa’s leading festival of design, and I am looking forward to ensuring that this potential is explored to its fullest, driving economic growth and global visibility for African creatives,” she added.
