Comfort Ekeleme
Ecobank Nigeria has announced the return of Ecobank Adire Lagos for a special December Edition, scheduled to hold from 11 to 13 December 2026 at the Ecobank Pan-African Centre (EPAC), Victoria Island, Lagos.
The three-day festival will bring together fashion, art, culture, entertainment and enterprise, creating a vibrant marketplace for African creativity while providing SMEs, designers, artisans and other creative entrepreneurs with opportunities to showcase their businesses, make sales, expand their customer base and build new connections.
For the first time, Ecobank is taking Adire Lagos into the end-of-year season, positioning the festival as a major December cultural and creative economy experience.
Speaking ahead of the festival, Head, SMEs, Partnerships & Collaborations at Ecobank Nigeria, Omoboye ODU, said the December Edition reinforces Ecobank’s commitment to the creative economy by connecting culture and creativity with real commercial opportunities for African businesses.
“Ecobank Adire Lagos has grown beyond being simply an exhibition. It is an SME and creative enterprise platform that connects culture with commerce, giving businesses visibility, access to customers and opportunities to grow.
“Our ambition is to ensure that the creativity we celebrate also translates into sustainable businesses, jobs, market access and economic value.
“December presents a particularly exciting opportunity. Lagos comes alive with Nigerians returning home, tourists, families and consumers looking for authentic experiences and locally made products.
“We want to bring that audience together with some of the most exciting African designers, artisans and creative entrepreneurs, giving our SMEs an opportunity not just to showcase, but importantly, to sell, build relationships and reach new customers,” he said.
According to Odu, this growth reflects Ecobank’s broader approach to SME development. “For us, supporting SMEs goes beyond providing finance.
She said, “Businesses also need customers, markets, visibility, digital and payment solutions, knowledge and the right partnerships.
“Platforms such as Ecobank Adire Lagos allow us to bring these elements together and help entrepreneurs build more resilient, scalable and sustainable businesses,” she said.
The edition is designed to engage Nigerians at home, the diaspora community returning for the festive season, families, tourists and cultural enthusiasts.
The December edition is targeting over 35,000 attendees across three days and will provide a sales and visibility platform for more than 150 Nigerian and African brands and businesses, including fashion designers, textile merchants, artisans and lifestyle entrepreneurs.
The festival will feature a vibrant mix of shopping, fashion, art, food, music, cultural experiences and entertainment, creating multiple opportunities for visitors to discover and support African brands while providing participating SMEs and creative entrepreneurs with a strong platform for visibility, customer engagement and sales.
The festival has recorded significant growth since its inception, with attendance rising from 2,000 in 2022 to 5,000 in 2023, 12,000 in 2024, 25,000 in 2025 and more than 35,000 in June 2026. Exhibitor participation has similarly expanded, reflecting growing interest in African textiles, cultural expression and creative entrepreneurship.
As a Pan-African bank, Ecobank continues to use its platform, partnerships and extensive African footprint to champion indigenous enterprise and connect African businesses to wider market opportunities. Ecobank Adire Lagos celebrates Adire and African craftsmanship, while promoting the intersection of heritage, contemporary creativity and enterprise.
Beyond celebrating culture, the platform is designed to drive commerce. By bringing thousands of consumers into direct contact with SMEs and creative businesses, the festival creates opportunities for increased sales, customer acquisition, brand visibility, and longer-term business relationships. It also reinforces Ecobank’s commitment to providing entrepreneurs with the financial and non-financial support required to grow their businesses.
Members of the public, Nigerians returning home for the festive season, tourists, fashion enthusiasts, art collectors, families, business owners and cultural enthusiasts are invited to experience three days of shopping, fashion, art, food, music and African creativity at the Ecobank Pan-African Centre.
For a better society
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