The Obsidian Story
Obsidian Advisory Africa is a workforce & human capital advisory for Africa’s creative & fashion industries.
Obsidian Advisory Africa is a workforce development and human capital advisory firm dedicated to strengthening the creative and fashion industries in Africa. As a social enterprise, we design and deliver market-aligned solutions that equip young people and creative businesses with the skills, systems, and support needed to access sustainable employment and growth opportunities.
Since our establishment in 2021, we have empowered over 6,000 youth through inclusive training, career advisory, and employment support programs. We operate Nigeria’s first fashion job centre— a hybrid training centre and job centre designed to conne ct creative talent with meaningful work opportunities across the value chain.
Our work spans talent development and career advisory, enterprise development and support, recruitment and talent placement, project and program management, HR advisory, and research, strategy, and policy support. We work closely with creative professionals, fashion brands, MSMEs, industry bodies, government institutions, and development partners to deliver scalable workforce and enterprise solutions.
With a vision to become Africa’s leading platform for fashion recruitment and talent development, we collaborate with industry players and ecosystem stakeholders to address skills gaps, strengthen talent pipelines, and drive inclusive economic growth. Our work has been implemented in partnership with organisations such as Mastercard Foundation, Jobberman Nigeria, GIZ, LSETF and other local and international partners on large-scale youth employment and entrepreneurship interventions.
Vision Statement
A thriving African creative economy where talent is skilled, employable, and sustainably engaged.
Mission Statement
A thriving African creative economy where talent is skilled, employable, and sustainably engaged.
Who we serve
Fashion and creative businesses
SMEs and startups
Institutions and ecosystem partners
Professionals at various career stages
Excellence
We uphold the highest standard in every tasks.
Transparency
We communicate openly, build trust, and operate with integrity in all our dealings.
Innovation
We embrace creativity and technology to deliver bold, future-forward workforce solutions.
Continuous Learning
We stay curious, embrace new knowledge, and invest in growth to stay ahead in a dynamic industry.
Collaboration
We believe in teamwork, strong partnerships, and empowering communities for collective success.
Impact
We focus on solutions that create meaningful and sustainable change in the fashion workforce.
Obsidian Advisory Africa was founded on a belief that Africa’s creative economy cannot scale on talent alone. For creativity to become a sustainable economic force, it requires structure, skilled people, and systems that connect talent to opportunity.
2020
In 2020, this belief first took shape through Naija Fashion Geek, a content platform created to spotlight industry realities and start critical conversations around fashion careers, skills, and sustainability. What we uncovered was clear. Talent was abundant, but pathways were broken.
2021
In 2021, we moved from insight to action. An open call for interns tested our thesis and revealed a strong demand for structured entry points into the industry. Later that year, Obsidian Advisory was formally registered, marking our transition from community building to institution building.
2022
In 2020, this belief first took shape through Naija Fashion Geek, a content platform created to spotlight industry realities and start critical conversations around fashion careers, skills, and sustainability. What we uncovered was clear. Talent was abundant, but pathways were broken.
2023
In 2020, this belief first took shape through Naija Fashion Geek, a content platform created to spotlight industry realities and start critical conversations around fashion careers, skills, and sustainability. What we uncovered was clear. Talent was abundant, but pathways were broken.
Today, Obsidian Advisory Africa is a growing organization powered by a multidisciplinary team of over 20 professionals. Through initiatives such as The Bridge by Obsidian and The Bridge Institute, we are building the infrastructure that supports creative workspaces, career access, business education, and industry readiness.
Our vision is long term. We are not simply supporting creatives. We are shaping the systems that will define Africa’s creative workforce for generations.
Damilola Ademilokun
Damilola Ademilokun is a Nigerian Fashion Career Consultant, Researcher, and Business Strategist committed to advancing Africa’s fashion ecosystem through innovation and technology. She is the Founder of Obsidian Advisory Africa, an organization dedicated to connecting emerging fashion talent and providing enterprise support, and The Bridge Institute, a professional fashion and creative management institute equipping industry leaders with the skills to thrive in a competitive global market.
A trailblazer in fashion workforce development, Damilola led the first Fashion Job Fair and Creative Career Fair in Nigeria and Africa and established the continent’s first Fashion Job Centre, situated within The Bridge by Obsidian Hub. These pioneering initiatives have created unprecedented pathways for talent across the industry, bridging the gap between education and employment.
With over 15 years of experience, she has developed impactful programs through platforms including Legendary Gold Limited, Africa Fashion Business Summit, and Nigerian Fashion Week, elevating African brands on the global stage. She currently partners with Lagos Fashion Week to curate the Fashion Lab Conversations, driving critical industry dialogue and knowledge exchange.
Her work with ecosystem partners including the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) and their partner GIZ has supported the training of over 2,000 individuals across the fashion and creative industries.
She holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Labour Studies (2024) and a Global Certificate in Quality Assurance in Textile and Fashion Industry from the London School of International Business. A Certified Associate SMEDAN Business Development Service Provider and Fellow of the Council for International African Fashion Education, Damilola combines strategic insight with digital innovation to empower African fashion professionals.
Talent Development, Training & Career Advisory
We design and deliver industry-aligned training and career support for creatives across multiple career stages.
Enterprise Development & Business Support
We support creative entrepreneurs and businesses to build sustainable, scalable, and investment-ready enterprises.
Recruitment & Talent Placement
We connect trained and job-ready creative talent with employment and project-based opportunities.
Project & Program Management
We manage creative and workforce development projects from concept through execution and reporting.
HR Advisory & Consulting
We provide HR and people management advisory tailored to the realities of creative and emerging businesses.
Research, Strategy & Policy Support
We deliver evidence-based research and advisory to support decision-making and ecosystem development.
