Sola Oyebade, popularly known as Mr Mahogany, has been announced as a speaker at the 2026 African Entrepreneurship and Business Summit, AEBS, where he will lead a discussion on the need for stronger business models within Africa’s creative economy.
Sola Oyebade will speak on “Why African Creatives Need Business Models, Not Just Talent,” bringing more than three decades of experience in fashion, live events, talent development and creative enterprise to the conversation.
The announcement comes as Africa’s creative industries continue to expand their influence across international markets, creating growing opportunities for designers, models, producers, artists and other creative professionals.
He has spent much of his career working on the infrastructure behind that growth.
He is the Founder and CEO of Mahogany International and the founder of Fashions Finest Africa, Mahogany Models, Epic Fashion Week and Mahogany Training Academy.
Since establishing Mahogany International in 1996, he has built a portfolio spanning show production, event management, talent development and creative consultancy across Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the wider African diaspora.
One of his most prominent production credits is GTCO Fashion Weekend, which he has produced since its inception. The platform has become one of Africa’s major fashion and lifestyle events, bringing together designers, brands, creative professionals and audiences.
His wider production work includes Africa Fashion Week London, Africa Fashion Week Nigeria, Music Meets Runway and Nigeria Student Fashion and Design Week, among other fashion and live event productions.
Beyond production, Sola Oyebade has focused on developing systems that support creative professionals beyond exposure and visibility.
Through Fashions Finest Africa, he has created platforms for emerging designers and creatives to gain visibility, mentorship and commercial opportunities. Mahogany Models focuses on talent discovery, representation and career development, while Mahogany Training Academy provides professional training for show producers and production professionals.
His work has also extended into sustainability and creative entrepreneurship through initiatives including Design for the Future and Sustainability in Fashion Training.
These initiatives focus on helping creative entrepreneurs understand areas such as pricing, profitability, operations, marketing, production management and long term business growth. His career has also included advocacy for greater Black representation in the international fashion industry.
In 2008, he led a coordinated mobilisation involving African and UK fashion communities around Vogue Italia’s historic All Black Issue, drawing international attention to representation within global fashion.
His contribution to the creative industries has earned several recognitions. In 2025, he was named among Top Charts Africa’s 100 Most Influential People. He has also been recognised by BusinessDay among the Ten Faces Behind Nigeria’s Fashion Footprint, as well as by the Black in Events Network and other industry platforms.
His participation at AEBS 2026 places the business of creativity within the wider entrepreneurship conversation at the summit. The issue is increasingly relevant as African creatives gain international visibility while continuing to navigate challenges around monetisation, market access, professional development and business sustainability.
For many creative entrepreneurs, the ability to attract an audience does not automatically translate into a sustainable enterprise. Building systems around intellectual property, pricing, operations, distribution, partnerships and revenue generation remains critical to long term growth.
Sola Oyebade’s session is expected to examine this gap and explore what African creatives need to build businesses that can compete beyond their immediate markets.
AEBS 2026 will be held on November 5, 2026, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, under the theme “Made in Africa. Built for the World.”
His participation adds a creative industry perspective to a summit focused on the growth, competitiveness and global positioning of African businesses.
