The Africa International Design Awards (AIDA Awards) proudly celebrated their successful launch on July 22nd during African Design Week 2025 in Cotonou, Benin. This inaugural edition marks the beginning of a bold and much-anticipated initiative dedicated to honoring African creativity and design excellence across the continent and the diaspora.
The opening ceremony was truly inspirational, featuring renowned designers including Bibi Seck, founder of Birsel + Seck and Head of the AIDA Awards Jury, and jurors Ousmane Mbaye, founder of Ousmane Mbaye Design Brand and Alain Soreil—a celebrated painter and Principal of L’École Duperré in Paris. They were joined by Jean-François Ancel, Deputy General Director and Kefil Saka, Executive Director of the Africa Design School, as well as Astrid Hébert, co-founder of the 3C Awards Group.
The ceremony was held and presided over by Claude Borna, Managing Director and Chief Innovation Officer of Sèmè City—an innovation and knowledge hub in Benin, dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship, research, and education across Africa by uniting universities, startups, and research institutions within a dynamic, future-focused ecosystem.
The launch of the Africa International Design Awards (AIDA Awards), was followed by a panel discussion that offered an exceptional dialogue between Bibi Seck and Ousmane Mbaye, who shared their personal design journeys and reflected on how design awards have contributed to their visibility and professional recognition. Astrid Hébert, co-founder of 3C Awards and program director, reaffirmed AIDA’s Awards mission: to spotlight Architects and designers not only for their creations but for how their work shapes culture, finds solutions to the continent’s challenges, and inspires transformation.
The four-day event marking the inaugural African Design Week was a great success, featuring panel discussions, exhibitions, and social gatherings that brought together over 900 participants.
Highlights included the inspiring work of Africa Design School students, who showcased their creativity, the presence of professionals who traveled from across the continent and beyond, and the many vibrant conversations that reaffirmed the importance of this platform. At its core, design emerged as a powerful tool for connection, innovation, and transformation.
AIDA Awards welcome architects, designers, and creatives across disciplines, architecture, interior design, product and furniture design, fashion, graphics, and innovation, to share their work and be part of a growing celebration of African design. Submit your project at africainternationaldesignawards.com and help shape the future of design across the continent and beyond.
This is just the beginning. The movement starts now.
