Africana House Lagos Opens as a New Cultural Home for African Creativity

Launched in early January, Africana House Lagos introduces a different kind of retail experience — one that prioritises collaboration, conversation, and lived cultural exchange over traditional storefront norms. Designed as a social house for people who create, collect, and connect, Africana House brings fashion, art, lifestyle, and community under one roof, reframing what modern African retail can look like.

The opening marks a milestone for Africana Group, which has spent more than a decade building a presence across cities including Abuja, Dakar, Abidjan, and Bamako, with extensions into London and New York. Africana House Lagos is described by the group as its most complete physical expression to date — a permanent home for ideas, designers, and evolving narratives around African creativity.

At the core of the concept is a retail residency model. Rather than fixed tenants, Africana House hosts a rotating collective of brands for defined periods, creating an ever-changing ecosystem of product, dialogue, and creative energy. Current brands in residence include Fujah, Trax Apparel, Seinde Signature, ASIKO, Joel R. Anderson, and Winston Leather.

The house officially came alive on January 9, as Lagos’ creative community turned out in force for the opening. The atmosphere blended fashion, sound, and social exchange, with music curated by DJ Lambo, Maze, Mxtreme, and DJ Michael, delivering sonic sessions rooted in Afrobeats and Afrohouse.

Founder Charles Oronsaye describes the space as “a melting pot of the finest brands with African heritage — what I like to call Third World Excellence.” For Guest Creative Director Ifidon Oisamoje, the emphasis is firmly on people and progress. “It’s a social house anchored on community,” he said.

Group CEO Joy Osadolor framed the opening as a starting point rather than a final statement, adding that Africana House reflects a broader belief that African creativity and enterprise should lead global conversations — and benefit from them.

Since opening, comparisons have surfaced, with some likening the concept to global members’ clubs such as SoHo House or pointing to local cultural landmarks like Alara. Africana House, however, resists easy categorisation. The team simply calls it home.

With plans already underway to expand into major cities across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, Africana House Lagos signals a growing ambition: to build a global network of cultural spaces rooted in African excellence, while remaining grounded in community, collaboration, and creative exchange.