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Why Is “Made In Nigeria” Fashion Very Expensive??

Ugodre Obi-chukwu by Ugodre Obi-chukwu
May 8, 2013
in Uncategorized
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I decided it was time I get new set of ‘natives’ since I have outgrown the ones I had. In addition, there are newer trends and styles which I thought I like and wanted to be part of.

I decided to get in touch with some friends who claim to be in the native business which was also an opportunity for me to help give them some business. The first person I called said it will cost me about N55,000 to have one of this “South South” natives. I thought he was joking so I asked him to please get serious. To my surprise he said that was his last price and that he even reduced the price since his starting price for his customers in Abuja were are about N100,000. I was gobsmacked!!!

I put a call through to another person who said her’s was N20,000 but could accept N15,000 because it was me. At that point I had to ask why it cost more than N5,000 to sew a simple native even if I gave them my own fabric. She explained that her own fabric was expensive and that apart from then her efforts/labour was not for free. So I asked what if the fabric cost me N3,000 or I decide to buy one myself, how much will she charge. She responded that whilst she does not do cheap fabric, her labour alone was a minimum of N10,000 regardless.

Several other calls I made was basically the same till I decided to go back to my roots, which I will come to later. For now, I wondered why in this world would anyone pay N10,000 as cost of sewing native when that can spend that on a decent shirt and trouser from some of the best boutiques in Lagos and even abroad. I know some fabrics are quite expensive but what is the point paying over the top to get it sewn? Incidentally, even trousers and shirts made in Nigeria cost as much, if not more than foreign ones. Why are made in Nigerian fashion so expensive?

Could it be that made in Nigerian fashion designers use better tailors? Are their fabrics much better than the ones made by their counterparts abroad? Does it last forever? Is it immune to wear and tear? The answers to this questions are a resounding negative. No matter how much they try, the local made fashion hardly seem to get their threading to be as neat as their foreign counterparts  and neither do they even get the perfect cuts and fits. Some of them still go to China to buy and sew their designs, just like their foreign counterparts and yet we pay more for most of them.

 Nigerian fashion industry, like any other business, is faced with the problem of making demand match supply or vice versa. Since demand for made in Nigerian fashion is still quite low compared to the population, a lot of them prefer to charge high for the few who patronize them. That way they are able to make up for the little turnover by increasing margins.

Another reason is that, most people who are in the business are agents rather than actual designers themselves. All they need to know is to be savvy about quality fabrics, know good tailors and also how to fetch good customers.

This is not uncommon  as people are always in business to maximize profit.   However, for every price there is a willing buyer. That is the beauty of capitalism. I went my to my roots, where I used to sew natives before the glamour of being a working class guy. Obalende tailors are still there and probably still the best. By the way they charge on average N5,000 and are patronized by the rich people we strive to be like.

Tags: DeepdivePersonal Finance
Ugodre Obi-chukwu

Ugodre Obi-chukwu

Ugo Obi-Chukwu "Ugodre" is the Founder, Publisher, and Chief Analyst of Nairametrics, a leading business and financial news online platform in Nigeria. Ugo is also the Chief Editor of the Nairametrics “Blurb” Opinion pages. Follow Ugodre on Twitter @ugodre and Instagram @ugodre Email: ugodre@nairametrics.com

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Comments 6

  1. Neyd says:
    May 11, 2013 at 6:12 am

    Interesting article. Sad thing is that professional tailors ignore the business side of their trade. keep the diversity up.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says:
    July 27, 2015 at 8:04 pm

    i have always maintained that stance. I dont even patronize the obalende tailors. i have a very sharp man that sows sharp trad for #2000. has his shop at Ajah. those are the ones that want to prove themselves to customers.

    Reply
  3. femi says:
    March 9, 2016 at 1:53 pm

    Your views and opinions are valid. You seem to have the idea of what you want made for you that’s why u could get the fabric. Some intricate designs and detailing takes more than just any fabric. For example; multi folds cannot be perfectly done with a cotton fabric it has to be wool to get the best. So, you can’t always blame the designer. I’m totally against exorbitant pricing but some fashion items cost a little more. If you need kaftans at reasonable price – find me on @royalfitng

    Reply
  4. Anonymous says:
    August 29, 2018 at 4:53 am

    I think first offs we have a lot of product in the market, and its no news that Nigerians don’t read this days. I don’t think Nigerians are in the know on the products emanating from Nigeria. I have created a blog that centers on reviewing made in Nigeria products and services. Check it out. https://shoppazdigest.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  5. Imaobong Nkan says:
    February 7, 2019 at 8:24 am

    I’m happy to see this, firstly because I’m a dressmaker and secondly because I use to think like this before I started making dresses. I make ladies dresses and I know the amount of time and effort that goes into making one dress and we do not even charge per hour of making dresses. So eventually we earn less. Whilst some can be so expensive some other prices are fair. Custom made dresses are the most difficult especially for me since I have to go through pattern drafting, toile and blah blah to get your perfect body shape but that’s not what happens with ready made. Everything is just cut and joint! No sculpting, no hand crafted piece to a persons body. Sometimes it seems like just a tiny dress blah blah. But it’s the dedication that makes it expensive. I don’t know about others but for some people that take time to differentiate their craft should be appreciated.

    Reply
  6. Feisal Elmi says:
    October 30, 2019 at 8:12 pm

    Dear Brothers and Sisters,

    I am not a native Nigerian but my father is a Nigerian. I am a Somalian that now lives in the Netherlands.
    I am an African that is far from home, and living in a western country makes me appreciate how we Africans appreciate family and friends. (not all of us.. but a majority does).

    Living in western society, I see a lot of our brothers and sisters forgetting where the came from. Now, I want to start a business that will bring money to African countries. What I need to start is people that are interested in designing fashion? The designers will get a fair cut from every unit sold.

    Designs will be sold across EU & US.

    Thanks!

    Reply

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