This week, we celebrate Tosin Oshinowo, an award-winning Nigerian architect, designer, and founder of Oshinowo Studio, whose work continues to place African architecture and urban innovation on the global map.

Based in Lagos, Oshinowo is renowned for her socially responsive approach to architecture, combining contemporary design with African culture, sustainability, and community development. Her portfolio includes civic, commercial, and residential projects, as well as groundbreaking initiatives that address housing, urban development, and the needs of vulnerable communities.

One of her most impactful projects was her collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to design a new community for people displaced by insurgency in Northern Nigeria. Through projects like this, she has demonstrated how architecture can be a powerful tool for social transformation.

In recent years, Oshinowo has received widespread international recognition. In 2025, her installation, “Alternative Urbanism: The Self-Organized Markets of Lagos,” earned a prestigious Special Mention Award at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, one of the world’s most respected architecture exhibitions. The project highlighted the ingenuity, circular economy, and sustainability embedded within Lagos’ informal markets, drawing global attention to African solutions for urban living.

Her growing influence has also been recognized through inclusion in the ELLE Decor A-List 2025, recognition as one of the world’s leading architects and designers, and her appointment as curator of the second edition of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial.

Tosin Oshinowo’s journey is a testament to excellence, innovation, and visionary leadership. By championing African design, sustainable development, and inclusive urbanism, she continues to inspire women across the continent to lead boldly, think creatively, and shape the future.