Africa: Africa Made It Unveils Blueprint To Capture Usd 34B In Gdp And Accelerate African Industrial Sovereignty

What the report says

Africa Made It, a continental advocacy campaign focused on industrial sovereignty, launched its “Power, Protect, Purchase” initiative during the CANEX weekend in Lagos, Nigeria, according to Africapractice’s press release distributed by AllAfrica. The campaign centers on the continent’s cotton and apparel sector and argues that Africa can capture more value by moving from exporting raw cotton to processing, manufacturing, and selling finished garments locally.

The announcement says the plan rests on three linked priorities: improving access to reliable power for industrial mills, protecting emerging domestic producers from unfair imports, and encouraging African consumers to buy locally made clothing. Africa Made It says this shift could help retain more of the value chain on the continent, support industrial growth, and strengthen Africa’s position as a manufacturing and investment destination.

The release cites Africa Practice research claiming that Africa exports most of its raw cotton and captures only a small share of its value. It also says that building local spinning, weaving, and sewing capacity could support large-scale jobs, particularly for women, who are heavily represented in garment manufacturing. The campaign further points to the need for investment in infrastructure and policy support to close what it describes as missing links in the fibre-to-fashion chain.

Africa Made It said the initiative is backed by a network of pan-African organizations and media partners. More broadly, the effort reflects a wider push across parts of the continent to expand domestic manufacturing and reduce dependence on exporting unprocessed commodities.