Nigeria’s fashion industry is producing talented designers, but many lack the commercial and managerial skills needed to build sustainable businesses and create jobs, according to founder of Towbee Stitches, Oluwatobi Felicia Ojo.
Ojo said creativity and technical ability alone are no longer enough to guarantee success in an increasingly competitive industry, arguing that the next generation of fashion entrepreneurs must also understand pricing, customer management, production planning, finance and quality control.
“Teaching someone to sew is one thing. Teaching them to survive as a business owner is another,” she said.
According to Ojo, the disconnect between technical training and business management remains one of the biggest obstacles confronting emerging designers, many of whom struggle to translate their skills into profitable ventures.
She said the industry’s future depends on producing entrepreneurs rather than simply increasing the number of people who can sew, adding that fashion training should expose aspiring designers to the realities of running a business, including customer engagement, production processes, fabric sourcing, operations and financial management.
To bridge the gap, Ojo said trainees under Towbee Stitches’ apprenticeship programme work on live customer orders, gaining practical experience in pattern drafting, production management, customer relations and business administration alongside technical instruction.
She said several participants have gone on to establish their own fashion businesses, contributing to employment generation across the industry’s value chain.
Ojo also identified the broader operating environment as a major constraint on fashion businesses, citing unreliable electricity supply, rising fabric costs, import delays and the difficulty of retaining skilled artisans.
She said these pressures have increased production costs for local operators, while competition from imported and mass-produced clothing continues to squeeze margins, forcing bespoke brands to differentiate themselves through quality and craftsmanship.
“Bespoke is slow, deliberate and personal,” she said. “We solve problems for our clients rather than just selling clothes.”
Ojo argued that building a pipeline of entrepreneurs with both technical and business capabilities is critical to strengthening Nigeria’s fashion industry and improving the survival rate of emerging businesses.
She added that digital platforms and sustainable production practices will also become increasingly important as local fashion businesses seek to compete more effectively in domestic and export markets.
“I don’t just want to leave behind clothes. I want to leave behind designers, entrepreneurs and clients who feel better because they met Towbee Stitches,” she said.
