# How My Community Sewed a Nation’s Style but Lost the Credit | Sadiya Adado | TEDxLagos Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbyPHMsMS5I Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/QbyPHMsMS5I Generated: 2026-03-11T17:32:27.271+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The presentation details how the tailoring industry in Fagbe, a historic community in Northern Nigeria, served as the foundation for Nigeria's fashion identity despite historical neglect, and advocates for investing in these marginalized communities to foster global fashion innovation and economic stability, rather than relying on established fashion capitals. **Key Points:** - Fagbe, a historic community in Northern Nigeria, was the fashion capital of Nigeria before Lagos rose to prominence, with tailors there creating clothes for governors and tycoons. - The tailoring skill in Fagbe, rooted in community diversity, emphasizes precision, fitting, and comfort over mere design, a skill that has existed for over 30 years. - Despite its foundational role, the tailoring industry in Fagbe, along with other neglected communities, suffers from poverty, underemployment, lack of recognition, and insecurity. - The speaker highlights that Fagbe currently houses some of Africa's largest textile and commodity markets, including the Consumqwari and Sabon Gari markets. - The speaker urges listeners to imagine a future (by 2025 or 2050) where solar-powered sewing machines and digital skills training transform these communities into global fashion innovation hubs. - The core message is that global fashion innovation must come from investing in and recognizing the skills rooted in overlooked communities like Fagbe, rather than relying solely on established centers like Paris, Milan, or New York. ![Screenshot at 00:28: The speaker presents a slide titled 'The Hidden Thread: Before Lagos Became The Fashion Industry,' showing images of the historic Fagbe community, emphasizing its past significance.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QbyPHMsMS5I/00-00-28.jpg) **Context:** Sadiya Adado delivers a TEDxLagos talk focusing on the often-overlooked origins of Nigerian fashion, specifically highlighting the historic tailoring community of Fagbe in Northern Nigeria. She contrasts the community's foundational role in shaping Nigerian style with its current state of marginalization, poverty, and lack of recognition, arguing for a shift in global investment toward such overlooked talent pools. ## Detailed Analysis Sadiya Adado presents the story of Fagbe, a historic community in Northern Nigeria, which she claims was the fashion capital of Nigeria before Lagos gained that status, supplying clothing to governors and business tycoons like Alhaji Suleiman Wappa and Alhaji Ahmedu Mangal across Nigeria decades ago. She emphasizes that the tailoring skill developed there is about precision, fitting, and comfort, rather than just design, a skill that has persisted for over 30 years. Despite this heritage, the community suffers from poverty, underemployment, insecurity, and a lack of recognition, causing the industry to fade. The talk points out that Fagbe still hosts major markets like Consumqwari and Sabon Gari, which are among Africa's largest textile supply centers. Adado argues that the narrative of Nigerian fashion is incomplete without recognizing these roots, noting that the public rarely associates Fagbe with fashion today, contrasting a tailor in 1980 with the youth in Fagbe in 2025. She calls for a global connection, urging investment in these marginalized communities through technology transfer (like solar-powered sewing machines), digital fashion design training, and global trade access to prevent the community's talent from remaining in the shadows and to create a more sustainable and inclusive future for fashion innovation. ### Introduction and Context - Before Lagos became the fashion capital, Fagbe was the fashion capital of Nigeria - Tailors in Fagbe dressed governors and business tycoons like Alhaji Suleiman Wappa and Alhaji Ahmedu Mangal across Nigeria. ### The Hidden Thread - The tailoring skill relies on rhythm, skill, precision, fitting, and comfort, not just design - This skill has existed for over 30 years in the community. ### Current State of Fagbe - Fagbe houses some of Africa's biggest textile and commodity markets (Consumqwari and Sabon Gari) - Yet, the community suffers from poverty, unemployment, insecurity, and lack of recognition. ### Global Connection and Vision - The story is not just about the community but the world we live in - Empowering marginalized communities builds peace, stability, and innovation. ### Call to Action - Invest in training hubs for digital fashion design, branding, and global trade access for communities like Fagbe - This prevents losing potential global fashion innovation hubs to poverty and neglect. ![Screenshot at 00:00: Abstract red and black visual introduction to the video's theme.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QbyPHMsMS5I/00-00-00.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:01: The word 'Woven Together' appears over an animation of intertwined cords/threads, symbolizing connection and textiles.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QbyPHMsMS5I/00-00-01.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:28: Slide contrasting old scenes of Fagbe \(a building and a street sign showing 'FAGGE'\) with the title 'The Hidden Thread: Before Lagos became the fashion industry'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QbyPHMsMS5I/00-00-28.jpg) ![Screenshot at 03:43: Slide titled 'GLOBAL CONNECTION' showing images of cramped, rudimentary sewing workshops in Fagbe, illustrating the challenging working conditions.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QbyPHMsMS5I/00-03-43.jpg)