About Design Week Lagos
A Pan-African
Design Platform
Advancing Creativity
Design Week Lagos is a leading pan-African design platform established to advance design as a strategic driver of innovation, industry, and cultural development across Africa.
Founded in Nigeria and delivered across Lagos, the platform brings together designers, manufacturers, institutions, educators, students, policymakers, brands, and the public to explore the role of design in shaping Africa’s future. Operating at the intersection of creativity and industry, Design Week Lagos supports the growth of local production, encourages innovation, and creates pathways for African designers to access global opportunities and conversations.
Through exhibitions, trade platforms, talks, competitions, training programmes, incubation initiatives, research, and international collaborations, Design Week Lagos fosters knowledge exchange, visibility, and long-term ecosystem building. More than an annual event, Design Week Lagos functions as a year-round platform connecting ideas to industry, talent to opportunity, and African creativity to global audiences.
Five Core Areas of the Design Ecosystem
Through its programmes, exhibitions, and collaborations, Design Week Lagos supports growth across key sectors of the African design landscape.
Design Culture & Systems
Manufacturing, Brands & Trade
Product, Furniture & Industrial Design
Interior Design
Architecture & the Built Environment
Making a New Africa
Design Week Lagos 2026 is guided by the theme “Making a New Africa” — a reflection on design as a driver of transformation, identity, innovation, and economic opportunity.
As Africa’s creative industries continue to expand, the festival explores how design can move beyond expression to become a foundation for systems, infrastructure, production, and sustainable growth.
SUB THEME:
From Material to Market: Designing for Scale
As Africa’s creative industries continue to expand, the 2026 sub-theme focuses on the journey from idea to production addressing how African creativity can evolve into scalable systems, products, and commercially viable solutions.
Selected works presented during the festival will be developed through limited production pathways, demonstrating how creative ideas can transition from concept to manufacturable outcomes and market opportunities.
WHAT WE HAVE DELIVERED
Advancing Design as a Tool forTransformation
Design Week Lagos exists to position design as a powerful tool for innovation, cultural expression, manufacturing, and economic growth across Africa.
National Talent Discovery
Launch of the National Design and Innovation Competition (NDIC), with a nationwide open call engaging designers across multiple regions.
Training & Knowledge Sharing
Delivery of workshops, masterclasses, and knowledge sessions, alongside partnerships with local and international institutions.
Incubation & Development
Implementation of the Design and Innovation Incubator Programme, providing mentorship and guided product development.
Designer–Manufacturer Collaboration
Facilitation of collaboration between designers and manufacturers, translating concepts into manufacturable products.
Exhibition & Market Testing
Curation of the Design and Innovation Exhibition, with professional validation and market readiness assessment.
Founder & Creative Direction
Design Week Lagos was founded by Titi Ogufere, a leading voice in Africa’s design industry and a long-standing advocate for the growth, visibility, and professional development of design across the continent. Her vision is rooted in the belief that design plays a vital role in shaping culture, industry, cities, and economic development — and that African designers must be supported through structured platforms, institutional backing, and global engagement.
Titi Ogufere
Founder and group ceo of african design network
Titi Ogufere is a design industry pioneer, cultural entrepreneur, and bridge builder whose work continues to define Africa’s creative landscape. She is the Founder of Design Week Lagos, West Africa’s premier design festival, which has grown into a leading platform for exhibitions, talks, student competitions, studio tours, and city-wide partner events positioning Lagos as a global capital for African design and innovation.
As Group CEO of the Africa Design Network, she leads a multidisciplinary ecosystem advancing African design through media, exhibitions, education, manufacturing, and interior design. Her work connects the dots between creativity and commerce, championing cross-industry and cross-border collaboration to shape a more inclusive design-driven future for the continent.
Read More
A prolific author and publisher, Titi has published more than 27 books and professional guides documenting and defining the evolution of design in Africa and the Middle East. She has also produced landmark documentaries including Made by Design, with Season 1 streaming on Netflix, and Seasons 2 and 3 expanding the global narrative around African design excellence. Her latest film, Mama Nike: Queen of Adire, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF 2025), further affirming her voice as a global cultural storyteller.
Through Design Week Lagos, Titi has championed transformative programming such as the Design and Innovation Exhibition and the Design and Innovation Incubator Program, initiatives focused on empowering young and emerging designers in furniture design, product development, industrial design, textiles, lighting, and other creative manufacturing fields. These programs have strengthened capacity building, mentorship, and production pathways for a new generation of African design innovators.
Titi is the founder of the Interior Designers Association of Nigeria (IDAN) and the African Council for Interior Architects and Designers (ACIAD), and she made history as the first African President of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI).
With an unwavering belief in design as a catalyst for economic development, Titi Ogufere continues to shape industries, nurture creative talent, and build bridges between culture, craftsmanship, and commerce advancing a new era for African design on the global stage.
Our People
Design Week Lagos is guided by a diverse network of leaders, advisors, strategists, and team members whose work spans design, architecture, culture, education, manufacturing, policy, and creative development.
Together, they contribute to the growth of Design Week Lagos as a platform for dialogue, collaboration, innovation, and long-term ecosystem building across Africa.
Titi Ogufere
FOUNDER
DESIGN WEEK LAGOS
Ekua Akinsanya
Chair
Interior Designers Association of Nigeria
Munira Shonibare
MD/CEO
IO FURNITURE
Osaru Alile-Abraham
MD/CEO
CC Interiors
Jackie Aki
md/ceo
James Cubitt Interiors
Tochukwu Macfoy
MD/CEO
Energize Music
James Brendan Udom
MD/CEO
JBU Architects
Moriam Ajaga
SA to the President on Art & Culture
Ministry of Art, Culture & the Creative Economy
Sponsorship & Engagement
Design Week Lagos is built on collaboration. Whether you are a global brand seeking strategic partnerships or an individual passionate about African design, there is a space for you to shape the ecosystem.
Partner With the Festival
Position your brand at the forefront of contemporary African design culture. Partner with us to engage with architects, designers, builders, decision-makers, and cultural tastemakers across the globe.
Strategic Tracks
- Exhibition & Hub Sponsorships
- Keynote Speaker & Talks Sponsorship
- Digital & Editorial Brand Alignment
- Exclusive VIP Showroom Activation Rights
Join as a Volunteer
Be the driving force behind the design festival. Join our dynamic volunteer community to gain firsthand museum and curation experience, build professional networks, and connect with creative leaders from around the world.
Engagement Areas
- Programmes
- Operations
- Social Media
- Brands & Marketing
- Exhibition Management
- Partnership & Sponsorships