Many peoples, many styles
Nigeria has hundreds of ethnic groups and languages, so there is no single “Nigerian” costume. The Hausa and Fulani are the largest groups in the north, the Yoruba in the south-west and the Igbo in the south-east. Many other peoples, such as the Edo, Ijaw, Efik, Tiv and Kanuri, have their own dress traditions. Religion, rank and occasion shape what people wear as much as ethnicity does.
Women’s traditional clothing
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- Iro and buba: the everyday Yoruba women’s outfit, a wraparound skirt (iro) tied at the waist and a loose blouse (buba). For special occasions it is worn with the gele, a head tie folded from stiff fabric into tall, sculpted shapes, and the ipele, a matching sash over the shoulder.
- George wrappers and coral beads: in Igbo and Niger Delta communities, women wear two layered wrappers of George, a dense embroidered fabric. These go with a lace blouse, a headwrap and strings of coral beads (aka or ivie) around the neck and wrists, which signal rank and family standing.
- Northern wrappers and veils: Hausa and Fulani women in northern Nigeria wear wrappers and blouses with a headscarf (kallabi) and a shawl or veil (mayafi) over the head and shoulders.
- Aso Oke and Adire: women also wear garments made from aso oke (“prestige cloth”), handwoven on narrow looms into strips sewn together, or adire, indigo resist-dyed cotton originating from Abeokuta.
Men’s traditional clothing
Looking for women’s traditional clothing? Jump to Women’s traditional clothing ↑.
- Agbada: a wide, flowing robe worn by Yoruba men and common across West Africa. The full outfit consists of the outer robe, an inner shirt (buba), drawstring trousers (sokoto) and an embroidered cap (fila). Read more on our agbada page.
- Babban riga: a large robe worn by Hausa and Fulani men, with geometric embroidery around the neckline and chest. It is worn over a tunic and trousers with an embroidered hula cap or a turban.
- Isiagu: a pullover tunic worn by Igbo men, covered in lion head motifs (isi agu means “lion’s head”). It is worn with trousers or a wrapped cloth, a walking stick and the red cap (okpu agu) that marks titled men.
- Kaftans and senator suits: long tunics with trousers in cotton or wool, worn for work and social events.
Wedding attire
Many couples hold a traditional wedding as well as, or combined with, a church, mosque or civil ceremony. Customs vary by group:
- At a Yoruba traditional wedding, the couple often wear matching aso oke: the bride with a large gele, the groom in an agbada and fila.
- At an Igbo traditional wedding (igba nkwu, “wine carrying”), the bride traditionally looks for the groom among the guests and offers him a cup of palm wine. Igbo and Edo brides often wear coral bead necklaces and headpieces.
- At Hausa weddings, henna designs on the bride’s hands and feet are common.
Couples often coordinate their colours, as in the photo above, and family and friends frequently wear aso ebi.
Aso ebi and celebrations
Aso ebi (Yoruba for “family cloth”) is the custom of guests wearing outfits made from the same fabric, chosen by the family hosting an event. It is associated with the Yoruba and is now common at weddings, funerals and birthdays across much of Nigeria. Guests usually buy the fabric and have it sewn in their own style.
Other occasions for traditional dress include:
- Durbar festivals in northern cities such as Kano, Katsina and Zaria, held around the Eid celebrations, where horsemen parade in elaborate robes and turbans.
- Eid and Christmas, when many people wear new or formal outfits.
- New Yam festivals in Igbo communities, where traditional attire is common.
Traditional clothing today
Traditional dress is widely worn in Nigeria, not only for ceremonies but also to religious services, work and public events. Tailors and designers work with aso oke, lace, George and Ankara, a colourful wax-print fabric used for both traditional styles and modern clothes. Many people choose a fabric and have it made to measure.
