Nigeria’s Independence – a sartorial tale by Stevante Clothiers

I present to you an elegant 57 year old man. It’s Nigeria’s Independence and he represents our Nigeria of today; filled with beautiful, talented people, rich in cultural, mineral and natural resources.

He is wearing a double-breasted green two-piece suit with white detailing. It is no mistake dressing him in modern European attire but draped in Nigerian colours; this tells a story of how Nigeria got colonised by the British. White is not simply a colour in our flag; in this suit, it tells how little peace we had during that time.

On his neck he has on a tie, used to depict modern day, self-inflicted slavery. We have abandoned the free-flowing robes of values and responsibilities as leaders in our various sectors for bondage at home and in foreign lands; searching frantically for a better life: from healthcare, to education, to job opportunities.

He wears a traditional cap from the eastern Nigeria, holds a tassel, which is usually seen in the western part of Nigeria, and has a white pocket square which carries an emblem of the Hausa eternal knot, a traditional symbolic indicator of the Hausa identity. Here, we tie together the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria and still make it look good! All three accessories have added beauty to this 57 years old man; there should be unity even in our diversity.

He drags along with him a heavy bag. The weight is so heavy, it hinders his progress. Welcome to Nigeria today: the bag represents the looting that has crippled us, the greed, the corruption at large, together with the lack of comportment by our politicians, and illiteracy of our people. With all of this, he still stands tall and even manages a little smile for the camera.

We’re still standing.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY NIGERIA!

#NigeriaAt57