Ghanaian creative entrepreneur Awura Abena Agyeman took home the top award at the CANEX Creative Pitch 2026 held in Lagos, Nigeria. The prize followed her presentation on the journey of WEAR Ghana and its evolution into the pan‑African cultural enterprise, Republic of Africa.
The competition was part of Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND), organised by the African Export‑Import Bank (Afreximbank). The event gathers entrepreneurs, artists, investors and policymakers to discuss financing, collaboration and growth across Africa’s creative industries.
Agyeman traced WEAR Ghana’s origins in 2013, when the company was founded to promote locally produced clothing. She highlighted the brand’s signature GIGI collection, introduced in 2016, which blends contemporary fashion with African wax‑print details and continues to sell worldwide a decade later.
She also unveiled the broader vision behind Republic of Africa, launched in May 2025 as a pan‑African cultural initiative aimed at connecting people across borders through fashion, creativity and shared identity.
Beyond the business narrative, Agyeman stressed the importance of employment, skills development and local production in expanding Africa’s creative economy. Her win comes amid growing discussions about the continent’s economic potential and the need for stronger local participation in cultural industries.
The recognition underscores the role of platforms such as CANEX in enabling African creative entrepreneurs to engage directly with potential investors and industry leaders. For WEAR Ghana and Republic of Africa, the victory marks another milestone in a journey that began with a simple ambition to encourage Ghanaians to wear Ghanaian‑made clothing and has now broadened into a wider vision of African cultural connection and enterprise.
