From Waste to Wealth: How Nigeria Can Lead in Sustainable Fashion
Written by: Lola Odeyemi
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In Lagos’s Katangua market, heaps of second-hand clothes stretch across the open space. Shirts, trousers, jackets, some still with foreign tags, others soaked from last night’s rain. The air smells of damp fabric and dust. Traders shout over one another, stepping around piles they know won’t sell. Much of it won’t go home with anyone. It’ll sit there, rot, or end up in a nearby gutter.
Hundreds of kilometres away, Nkwo Onwuka is doing something different. In a quiet workshop filled with the hum of conversation and clattering tools, she and a small team of artisans pull apart old denim and cotton scraps by hand. What others throw away, she turns into something useful and beautiful.
Nkwo doesn’t just design clothes. She works with waste, with tradition, and with intention. She calls the fabric she developed Dakala — handwoven from discarded material, built with skill passed down through generations.
Around her, a new kind of fashion is taking shape. One that doesn’t just follow trends but responds to a deeper question: What do we do with everything we’ve already made?
The Fashion Industry’s Dirty Secret
Most people don’t think twice about what they wear. A new shirt here, a cheaper dress there — bought, worn, forgotten. But behind those choices is an industry with a footprint as heavy as any on the planet.
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Fashion accounts for around 10% of global carbon emissions. That’s more than international flights and maritime shipping combined. It’s responsible for 20% of global wastewater, with toxic dyes and finishing chemicals running off into rivers and oceans. And every year, the world produces 92 million tonnes of textile waste, much of it burned or buried.
Fast fashion plays a major role. Cheap, synthetic fabrics like polyester are produced at high speed, worn a handful of times, and then tossed. They don’t break down. They sit in landfills for decades, leaching microplastics into the soil and water.
All of this takes an enormous toll on the climate, on communities, and on the workers who make these clothes for poverty wages under unsafe conditions. Still, the demand grows.
The irony is sharp: the clothes meant to express individuality are driving one of the most collective environmental problems of our time.
Nigeria’s Fashion Paradox
In Nigeria, fashion is more than fabric. It’s language, memory, and identity. Every stitch of aso-oke, every fold of adire, every wrap of ichafu carries meaning. Clothes mark ceremonies, signal status, and speak the unspoken. Fashion is history passed down through thread.
But even in this vibrant culture, waste is piling up.
Nigeria imports thousands of tonnes of second-hand clothing every year, much of it unsold, unwanted, or already worn to the edge. What began as affordable access has morphed into overflow. Markets flooded with garments no one needs, and streets littered with what can’t be resold.
Locally, the story isn’t much different. The country’s booming fashion industry; tailors, designers, market women generates huge amounts of fabric scraps, offcuts, and unsold stock. Most of it ends up in gutters, dumps, or burned in open air.
The problem isn’t just the volume. It’s the material. Much of today’s clothing is made from synthetic fibres like polyester and nylon. Cheap, durable, and nearly impossible to decompose. They release toxic chemicals into the ground and air, harming both people and the planet.
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Meanwhile, the structures needed to manage this waste, collection, recycling, and upcycling barely exist. In a country with such a rich fashion tradition, it’s a painful contradiction: a culture built on craftsmanship, now weighed down by throwaway clothing.
What Sustainable Fashion Really Means
Sustainable fashion is about making clothes in a way that doesn’t harm the planet or the people who wear — and make — them.
It starts with the materials: choosing natural, biodegradable fibres like organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, or Tencel instead of polyester and nylon. These fibres use fewer chemicals, less water, and don’t linger in landfills for generations.
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It also means slowing down the pace. Instead of chasing fast fashion trends that shift every month, sustainable fashion focuses on quality pieces that are built to last, not fall apart after a few washes.
And it’s not just environmental. It’s ethical. It means paying fair wages, ensuring safe working conditions, and valuing the people behind the production line, especially in countries where labour is often cheap and invisible.
Then there’s recycling and upcycling. Taking old clothes, scraps, or plastic waste and turning them into something new. Not just to reduce waste but to rethink how we assign value to what we usually throw away.
Finally, it’s about transparency. Knowing where your clothes come from, who made them, and what impact they had before they landed in your wardrobe.
In simple terms, sustainable fashion asks: Can we dress well without doing harm? And what would it look like if we tried?
What the World Is Getting Right
No country has all the answers, but a few are demonstrating what’s possible when sustainability is integrated into the very fabric of fashion.
In Sweden, shoppers drop their old clothes off at H&M stores for recycling and discounts on future purchases. It’s part of a nationwide effort to promote circular fashion, where waste becomes raw material, and clothes are designed to be reused, repaired, or remade.
In the United States, brands like Patagonia and Eileen Fisher have built entire business models around sustainability. Patagonia uses recycled fabrics and repairs worn gear for free. Eileen Fisher buys back its clothes, reworks them, and resells them through its Renew programme, blurring the line between production and preservation.
In the UK, Stella McCartney has helped redefine luxury by ditching leather, using plant-based alternatives, and working with supply chains that are ethical from farm to factory. Her work shows that style and sustainability can go hand in hand, even at the highest levels of fashion.
These countries have invested in policy, innovation, and public awareness. They’ve made sustainability easier, not harder, for both designers and consumers.
Nigeria doesn’t have to replicate these models word for word. But they’re proof that with the right mix of creativity, infrastructure, and intent, change is not only possible, it’s profitable.
How Nigeria Can Lead
Nigeria has one of the largest fashion markets in Africa. Designers, tailors, and stylists are everywhere. From big brands in Lagos to roadside shops in Ilorin, there’s a strong culture of craftsmanship, storytelling through fabric, and deep local pride in how people dress. And yet, much of that energy still runs on a linear model: make, wear, discard. What if that shifted?
What if, instead of being the end point for the world’s castoffs, Nigeria became a hub for circular fashion. A place where waste fuels innovation, where fashion creates jobs without trashing the environment, and where local materials power global ideas?
That shift is already beginning. A small but growing group of Nigerian designers, entrepreneurs, and changemakers are experimenting with new ways of making fashion more responsible by upcycling, recycling, and redefining what sustainable design looks like in an African context.
The path forward requires commitment. To think differently. To build systems that support reuse. To invest in people who are doing the hard work of change. If supported properly, Nigeria could become a sustainable fashion model for Africa and the world.
Upcycling — Reimagining What’s Already There
Upcycling is not new to Nigeria. For generations, tailors and designers have turned leftover fabric into matching headwraps, patchwork outfits, or children’s clothes. What’s changing now is the scale and the intention behind it.
Upcycling takes discarded materials, old clothes, offcuts, even plastic, and turns them into new, high-value items.
Nkwo Onwuka and the Dakala Fabric
In Abuja, designer Nkwo Onwuka is leading the movement. Her brand, NKWO, created Dakala — a handwoven fabric made from shredded denim and cotton waste.
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The process relies on traditional Nigerian weaving techniques and local artisanship, turning what would have ended up in a landfill into limited-edition, sustainable fashion.
Planet 3R: Where Waste Meets Innovation
In Ibadan, Adejoke Lasisi is pushing boundaries at Planet 3R, an organisation that transforms textile and plastic waste into bags, footwear, and even home décor. It’s fashion with a purpose and a business model rooted in the circular economy.
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She also trains young women and artisans, showing that sustainability can be a tool for empowerment, not just environmentalism.
Why Upcycling Matters Now
In a country with limited recycling infrastructure, upcycling is one of the most accessible paths forward. It doesn’t require high-tech machines or massive factories, just creativity, skill, and support.
What’s missing isn’t the talent. It’s the systems. Training centres. Fabric collection hubs. Shared design spaces. Upcycling could become a serious economic driver with the right investment.
Textile Recycling — Closing the Loop
Unlike upcycling, which repurposes whole materials, textile recycling breaks fabric waste down into fibres that can be reused to make new clothes, insulation, or even furniture stuffing. It’s about turning old textiles back into raw materials. Nigeria doesn’t yet have large-scale textile recycling plants. But a few startups are laying the groundwork for a circular system.
Africa Collect Textiles (ACT)
In both Nigeria and Kenya, Africa Collect Textiles is building a network of collection points such as bins in malls, schools, and places of worship where people can donate their unwanted clothes and shoes.
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The items are sorted. Wearable pieces go to underserved communities. The rest are recycled or upcycled into new products. They’ve also launched the ACT Academy in Lagos to teach people how to work with textile waste and rethink their approach to fashion.
Their model is simple: reduce landfill, create jobs, and extend the life of clothing.
MitiMeth: Weaving Waste into Worth
MitiMeth, founded by Achenyo Idachaba-Obaro, is best known for turning water hyacinth — a highly invasive aquatic plant — into handwoven baskets, rugs, and lampshades. But they’ve also expanded into textile waste, using fabric scraps to create sustainable home décor and accessories.
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What makes MitiMeth stand out is the people. Women and youth are trained to become artisans, building skills and earning income while solving an environmental problem.
What’s Next for Recycling in Nigeria?
To scale textile recycling, Nigeria will need more than passion projects. It will require:
- Waste collection infrastructure across major cities
- Partnerships with fashion manufacturers to integrate recycled fibres
- Incentives for businesses that build sustainable supply chains
Recycling may seem far off, but the early pieces are already on the board. With support, they could form the backbone of a greener, more resilient industry.
Sustainable Fashion Brands — Leading by Design
Sustainable fashion in Nigeria is a growing movement led mostly by young designers who are combining heritage, innovation, and environmental responsibility.
These brands are making a point that fashion can honour tradition, empower people, and protect the planet at the same time.
Here are some of the names at the forefront:
THIS IS US
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Founded by Osione Itegboje and Oroma Cookey-Gam, THIS IS US is a Lagos-based brand that keeps things simple but thoughtful.
They use locally grown Funtua cotton, avoid synthetic dyes, and focus on minimalist, timeless designs. Their approach is rooted in community, working with Nigerian artisans, showcasing local techniques, and using fashion to tell stories of identity and pride.
Ethnik Africa
Started by Tunde Owolabi, Ethnik Africa fuses traditional textiles with modern aesthetics. The brand’s signature material is aso-oke, a Yoruba handwoven fabric that’s often used for special occasions.
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Ethnik reimagines it for everyday wear, crafting shoes, bags, and accessories that bring heritage into the present. Their production methods are low-waste, and materials are biodegradable and ethically sourced.
Lisa Folawiyo Studio
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Her studio champions slow fashion: limited collections, careful construction, and long-term wear. Local artisans are central to the process, supporting skilled labour and rejecting the disposable cycle of fast fashion.
Hertunba
Founded by Florentina Agu, Hertunba focuses on ready-to-wear pieces for ambitious African women but with a sustainable twist. Over 90% of production excess is upcycled into home décor and accessories. The brand also integrates akwete, a traditional handwoven fabric made by women in Abia State.
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Hertunba doesn’t stop at clothes. It channels 10% of its net profits into adult education for women, linking fashion to empowerment on and off the runway.
These brands are doing more than creating beautiful designs. They’re building a new blueprint for what Nigerian fashion can look like: rooted in culture, shaped by sustainability, and driven by purpose.
Policy and Market Forces — Building the Framework for Change
Creativity alone won’t fix Nigeria’s fashion waste crisis. Ideas need infrastructure. Passion needs policy.
If Nigeria wants to lead in sustainable fashion and not just participate, it needs systems that make it easier for designers, businesses, and consumers to make better choices.
Here’s what that could look like:
1. Policy & Regulation
The government plays a critical role in setting the pace and priorities of an industry. A few shifts could go a long way:
- Offer tax incentives to fashion brands that use recycled or biodegradable materials.
- Ban or heavily tax textile waste dumping, especially non-biodegradable imports.
- Incorporate circular economy principles into national waste management policies.
- Fund innovation grants for sustainability-focused startups in fashion, waste, and design.
2. Infrastructure & Investment
Designers can’t upcycle what they can’t access. Entrepreneurs can’t recycle without tools. Nigeria needs to invest in the bones of a circular fashion economy:
- Set up fabric waste collection centres in key markets and cities.
- Create shared production hubs for upcycling, recycling, and training.
- Establish textile recycling plants — not as charity projects, but as viable green businesses.
- Encourage partnerships between manufacturers and waste startups to build closed-loop systems.
3. Consumer Awareness & Culture Shift
The market drives everything. If people demand better, industries adapt. But demand starts with awareness.
- Promote sustainability education in universities, polytechnics, and fashion schools.
- Normalise thrift culture, clothing swaps, and second-hand fashion — not just as budget options, but as responsible choices.
- Leverage influencers, musicians, and pop culture to popularise eco-conscious brands.
- Run national campaigns showing the true cost of fast fashion and the value of local alternatives.
Change doesn’t have to be massive to matter. A small policy tweak. A local hub. A shift in consumer habits. These add up.
And if the right actors move in sync — government, private sector, and citizens — Nigeria’s fashion industry could do something rare: grow without destroying the environment it lives in.
The Path Forward
Nigeria has the culture. It has the creativity. It has the people. What it needs now is the commitment to stop seeing textile waste as a nuisance and start seeing it as an opportunity.
The building blocks are already here. Designers upcycling discarded denim into wearable art, startups turning plastic into bags and scraps into rugs, brands using fashion to fund education and tell deeper stories. These aren’t outliers. They’re signals.
With the right support through smart policy, better infrastructure, and a shift in public mindset, Nigeria can lead a movement that doesn’t just reduce waste, but redefines what African fashion means on the global stage.
Because sustainable fashion isn’t a Western idea. It’s not a luxury. It’s a way forward that aligns with who we already are — resourceful, expressive, and community-driven.
And the best part? Everyone has a role to play.
What You Can Do:
- Support Nigerian sustainable brands. Buy better, not more.
- Donate or upcycle your old clothes. Keep them in use.
- Talk about it. Start conversations. Ask your favourite brands what they’re doing to reduce waste.
- Push for better policies. Local change needs loud voices.
References & Further Reading
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation. “Circular Economy in Fashion: The Future of Sustainable Textiles”
- UN Environment Programme. “The Environmental Impact of the Fashion Industry”
- NKWO. “Sustainable Fashion and Culture-Forward Designs in Nigeria”
- MitiMeth. “Eco-Innovation in Nigeria”