✂️ Fashion & Tailoring

Nigerian fashion.
Registered, protected, export-ready.

Nigerian fashion is globally recognised. But most designers and tailors operate without a registered business name, making them invisible to retailers, exporters, and institutional buyers. JUSTRA formalises the brand behind the talent.

Register Your Fashion Brand →← All Sectors

Compliance for Your Sector

What the law requires
for fashion & tailoring.

These are the specific compliance requirements that apply to your business. JUSTRA handles all of them — sequenced correctly and filed on time.

01
CAC Business Name or Ltd
A registered business name protects your brand and is required for any formal retail, export, or institutional contract.
02
TIN Registration
Mandatory for invoicing, formal employment, and any engagement with retailers, exporters, or government procurement.
03
Trademark Registration
Protect your label, brand name, and logo through IPONC (Trademarks Registry). JUSTRA guides you through the application process.
04
VAT and PAYE Compliance
Businesses with staff and turnover above the threshold must maintain VAT and PAYE records. JUSTRA tracks and manages both.

What Formalisation Unlocks

The doors that open
when you register.

Registration is not a cost. It is an investment that opens contracts, credit, and markets your competitors cannot reach.

👗
Uniform and Corporate Wear Contracts
Schools, hospitals, hotels, and corporates source uniforms from registered, compliant suppliers. CAC registration and a clean TIN record are the entry requirements.
🌍
Export Certification
NAFDAC, SON, and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) registration opens export markets across West Africa and the diaspora.
🏪
Retail and E-Commerce Partnerships
Nigerian retail chains and e-commerce platforms require formal business registration before onboarding fashion suppliers.
💼
SME Fashion Finance
NIRSAL, BOI, and bank SME programmes provide working capital and equipment finance to registered, tax-compliant fashion businesses.
Tax Act 2025

Fashion & Tailoring businesses under ₦100M pay 0% Company Income Tax from January 2026.

The Nigerian Tax Act 2025 exempts small and medium enterprises from company income tax. Formalising your business now is a tax-saving decision — not just a compliance one.

Calculate Your Tax →

The Numbers

Fashion & Tailoring in Nigeria.
By the numbers.

$4.7bn
Nigerian fashion industry annual value
2M+
Tailors and fashion SMEs operating informally
< 1%
Have trademark protection for their brand
₦50,000
Minimum PAYE penalty for late remittance

Real Business Story

One procurement officer. Four years of uniform contracts slipping by.

Tailor & uniform maker · 4 years · Lagos Mainland

Adaugo had been making school uniforms for Lagos private schools for four years — collecting payment to her personal bank account with a phone number as her only business identity. When the procurement officer at a new school requested a formal invoice with her RC Number and TIN, she didn't have one. The contract went to a smaller workshop with a certificate. After JUSTRA, she registered her business, protected her brand name, and issued her first proper invoice within 10 days. She won back that school and picked up two more in the same term.

✓Won 3 school uniform contracts totalling ₦1.8M within 30 days of registration

The Cost of Staying Informal

Non-compliance is not free.
It is just quietly expensive.

These are the real penalties fashion & tailoring businesses face for operating without proper registration and compliance.

Unregistered business name — competitor registers it first
With no CAC registration, a competitor can legally register your trading name and you have no recourse
Full brand loss
No trademark — brand name stolen or copied
Unregistered trademarks have no legal protection; you cannot sue for infringement without an IPONC filing
No legal remedy
Late PAYE remittance
State IRS imposes 10% of underpaid PAYE plus a ₦500,000 administrative penalty per incident
10% of amount + ₦500,000
Informal invoicing — client refuses to pay
Invoices from unregistered individuals cannot be enforced in court as business debts
No enforcement route

JUSTRA costs less than one penalty. Plans start at ₦3,000/month. CAC registration is ₦65,000 one-time. Compare that to the real cost of a single enforcement visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions from fashion & tailoring.
Answered directly.

I sell mostly on Instagram. Do I still need a business registration?
Yes. For bulk orders (school uniforms, corporate wear, events), clients cannot legally issue formal purchase orders to individuals. A CAC Business Name registration is what makes you billable for large orders. It also protects your brand name from being registered by a competitor.
What is the process to protect my brand name as a trademark?
Trademark registration in Nigeria goes through IPONC (Intellectual Property Office of Nigeria). JUSTRA guides you through the full process: name search, classification, application filing, and monitoring. Trademark registration typically takes 18–24 months but legal protection begins from the filing date — not completion.
Can I export to the UK or US without registering?
Not formally. UK and US buyers require a registered business entity for compliance and insurance purposes. International e-commerce platforms also require business registration for large-volume selling accounts. JUSTRA sets up the Nigerian registration that makes formal export contracts possible.
How much does registering a fashion brand cost?
CAC Business Name registration is ₦65,000 through JUSTRA (one-time). Trademark registration at IPONC is a separate fee payable to the government (typically ₦15,000–₦40,000 depending on classes). JUSTRA handles both processes and keeps all renewal dates on your compliance calendar.

Register Your Fashion Brand today.

JUSTRA handles your CAC registration, TIN, and full compliance setup. Start with a free compliance scan — no payment required to see where you stand.

Start Free Compliance Scan →View Pricing