Lagos hosts first-ever Africa recycling festival highlighting art, culture, sustainability

NIGERIA – Lagos is set to make continental history as it prepares to host Africa’s first recycling-focused arts and culture festival from December 3 to 7, 2025.

Organized by NMO Management and PR, the inaugural Artistic Pulse Festival (#APF) will transform the Remembrance Arcade at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) into a five-day showcase blending sustainability, culture, and commerce.

Held under the theme “Footprints of Interconnectivity, Growth and Expansion,” the festival aims to elevate environmental responsibility within Africa’s creative industries while spotlighting Nigeria’s cultural dynamism.

The event will integrate music, fashion, Nollywood, food, technology, and visual arts, offering a new model for how large-scale cultural events can champion recycling and circularity.

Organizers say the programme will include symposiums, debates, children’s activities, creative workshops, an art gallery, a play zone, and the APF Trade Fair, a marketplace connecting creators, SMEs, and consumers.

A major draw is the 11th annual Music Fashion Runway (#MFR), one of Nigeria’s most anticipated fashion showcases, scheduled for December 6 at the Naval Dockyard.

The show will feature leading African designers, global models, and live performances.

Adding international star power, American Idol winner Jordin Sparks is confirmed to headline with a live performance.

The festival will also host the Game Changer Africa Acknowledgement (#GCAA) awards, celebrating innovation within the creative industries, and the Golden Break Through (GBT) auditions, a youth-focused talent search for 2025.

Dr. Ngozi Omambala, Group Managing Director/CEO of NMO Management and Vice Chair of the NACCIMA Creative Economy Trade Group, said the festival is designed to unify creative sectors while driving sustainability.

“Our mission is to integrate the pillars of the creative industries at Remembrance Arcade TBS while supporting SMEs and fostering commerce, innovation and productivity,” she noted.

The Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), and NACCIMA have endorsed the event.

Coca-Cola Nigeria and recycling firm RecyclePoints will set up collection stations across the venue to ensure responsible waste recovery and recycling, a first for an African arts festival of this scale.

The APF arrives amid a growing regional push for circularity in entertainment and public events. Earlier this year, Rwanda expanded its “Green Festivals Initiative,” while South Africa’s Cape Town Carnival launched a plastics recovery partnership with local recyclers.

Lagos’ debut recycling festival is expected to strengthen West Africa’s presence in this emerging sustainability trend.

The festival will be livestreamed via NMO Management’s digital platforms, offering global audiences a front-row view of one of Africa’s most ambitious sustainability-driven cultural events.

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