Ekwutoziam bags African fashion award

Ekwutoziam A. Chinedu, CEO of EkashCollections, has been honoured with the African Iconic Woman in Fashion Business of the Year Award at the 15th African 2S Iconic Open Recognition Awards.

The event, held at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, attracted entrepreneurs, policymakers, diplomats, investors, creatives, and enterprise development stakeholders from across Africa.

According to the organisers, Amb. Dr. Ekwutoziam received the award in recognition of her contributions to the fashion business industry, entrepreneurial resilience, brand development, and commitment to promoting women-led enterprises and economic empowerment initiatives.

The recognition, they noted, reflects her growing influence within Africa’s creative and enterprise ecosystem through innovation-driven entrepreneurship, strategic business leadership, and community-focused initiatives.

Stakeholders in the entrepreneurship sector described her as one of the emerging voices championing African creativity, indigenous brand visibility, enterprise sustainability, and women empowerment through mentorship and transformative business engagements.

Speaking after receiving the award, Ekwutoziam commended the organisers for sustaining a platform that celebrates excellence, innovation, and enterprise leadership across Africa.

She said recognising entrepreneurs and innovators remain vital to strengthening Africa’s economic future, stimulating enterprise development, and inspiring young Africans to build sustainable businesses capable of creating jobs and socioeconomic impact.

According to her, the recognition would further motivate her commitment to expanding opportunities within the fashion and enterprise ecosystem while supporting initiatives that promote youth entrepreneurship, women-led businesses, and indigenous African enterprise development.

She also stressed the need for increased investment, strategic collaboration, and innovation-driven partnerships to position African-owned brands for global competitiveness and long-term sustainability.

The event featured entrepreneurial showcases, networking sessions, leadership recognitions, creative industry exhibitions, and discussions focused on innovation, economic inclusion, and Africa’s expanding creative economy.

For many participants, the honour bestowed on Ekwutoziam represented not only personal achievement but also the growing impact of visionary African women entrepreneurs shaping the future of enterprise, innovation, and economic transformation across the continent.