Lagos-based designers and artisans handcrafted and dyed over 200 outfits for the opening ceremony.
Actively Black, a Black-owned athletic apparel company, is the official outfitter for the Nigerian delegation at this year’s Olympics, set to take place from July 26 to August 11 in France.
This partnership follows their 2022 collaboration with the Bobsled and Skeleton Federation of Nigeria, where they provided outfits for the Nigerian teams at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
“As a former professional athlete, I understand how uniforms and sportswear in general should feel and move to support high-level athletic performance. Together with Actively Black co-founder, Bianca Winslow, we designed Nigeria’s track and field uniforms to enhance performance and reinforce a felt-sense of greatness that will carry Nigeria across the finish line and push them to win,” explains Lanny Smith, Actively Black co-founder and also former NBA player, to FORBES AFRICA.
This initiative also aims to promote careers in sports and fashion among young Nigerians. Smith highlights the historical significance of a Black-owned label representing a country at the Olympics. “It’s important to us as a brand to use this opportunity not only to drive legitimacy and visibility for Actively Black but also to platform Black and Nigerian creatives and share it with the larger Black community,” he says.
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For the opening and closing ceremony kits, Actively Black’s design team used the concept of ‘the market,’ a traditional central meeting place and hub of communication for various ethnic groups in Nigeria.
“By evoking the market concept, the collection showcases the diversity and cultural nuance of Nigerian identity.”
The kit itself celebrates both traditional elements of Nigerian culture and modern advancements that have positioned the country as an emerging economic power. For the opening ceremony, women will wear classic buba (blouse) dresses, and men will wear traditional Nigerian senator suits, all handcrafted in Lagos from Funtua cotton, featuring a classic block print in the green and white of the Nigerian flag.
In contrast, the track and field uniforms and podium outfits take a modern approach. The uniforms are made from a signature performance material in white and green to echo the Nigerian flag and are designed to support high-level performance. Podium looks feature classic Actively Black athleisure styles in white, with the Nigerian eagle symbolizing the country’s strength.
Each outfit will be accessorized with gele (traditional headgear) for women and fila (hats) for men.
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