Aso Ebi: How much will be enough?

At Nigerian weddings, a cherished celebration tradition that unites friends, family, and foes is a waste-producing mountain. A growing number of voices are asking whether celebration and sustainability can share the same dance floor.

On a typical Saturday afternoon in Lagos, the streets outside a wedding hall are bursting with myriads of colours. Hundreds of guests arrive draped in the same deep burgundy lace, their outfits freshly sewn, their headties perfectly tied. The scene is breathtaking. However, some now argue this is no longer sustainable because Aso Ebi's are a huge contributor to clutter.

Aso Ebi, loosely translated as "family cloth" in Yoruba, is a tradition rooted in support, identity, love, and even rivalry wherever there is something worth celebrating or anything that amounts to people gathering for an event. The practice involves family and friends (including foes) dressing in the same fabric as a sign of unity and support during a wedding or important event. What began as a cultural custom mostly associated with the Yoruba party scene, AKA "Owanbe" has grown into something deeply entrenched in Nigerian culture. Over the years, Aso Ebi has evolved, crossing ethnic boundaries to become a widespread tradition across all Nigerian ceremonies and even beyond the country's borders. Today, it is one of the most recognizable features of the Nigerian wedding and probably one of the most expensive items on the planning list.

The Cost of Fitting In

To attend a typical Nigerian wedding is, in many circles, to buy the fabric. Couples distribute aso ebi to guests, who are then expected to purchase it, sometimes at a premium, and have it sewn into a custom outfit. The prices can be steep: high-quality lace, Ankara, Hollandis textile, George, or Aso-Oke fabric can run into thousands and even millions of Naira per set. Tailoring fees are added on top. And for guests who receive multiple invitations in a single wedding season, the financial toll quickly compounds.

African Print Fabric (Wyte Shot - Unsplash)

However, the cost that rarely gets discussed is the environmental one.

Aso ebi culture, in its current form, adds an enormous volume of garments made specifically to be worn just once or twice in a space of 6 months to 1 year while still buying more. Hundreds of guests at a single wedding, each wearing an outfit purpose-built for that specific event, in that specific colour, with that specific embellishment. No doubt, these master designs are beautiful on the day and then folded into a wardrobe, possibly forever. Multiplied across the tens of thousands of Nigerian weddings that happen every year, that is a staggering amount of fabric that lives one afternoon and then effectively retires.

It is important to know that this practice does not end with clothing. A 2025 study on wedding waste in the Kano Metropolis found that weddings are major contributors to non-biodegradable waste, dominated by plastics, including disposable bottles, plates, and cups at 48 percent, and food leftovers at 32 percent. The Nigerian wedding, for all its beauty, leaves a significant footprint behind.

Pressure, Habit, and Excess

Part of what drives this waste can be described as social pressure. Many new couples feel compelled to outdo previous weddings (even those who say they are in no competition with people). Guests feel obligated to participate in Aso Ebi even when the cost strains their budgets. A lot of decisions surrounding events are made under some kind of duress. Many wedding choices are driven by habit, aesthetics, or pressure rather than specific needs and an actual affordable budget.

The fashion industry, globally, is one of the leading contributors to textile waste. Nigeria already contends with enormous volumes of imported second-hand clothing, much of which ends up unsold and discarded. Local tailoring generates significant fabric offcuts. Aso ebi, as currently practiced, only adds to that burden.

A Tradition Worth Keeping

The sustainability and environmentally conscious fashion considerations do not translate to Aso Ebi disappearing from the scene. The Aso-Ebi tradition carries real meaning and needs to be sustained. Aso Ebi signifies belonging and honouring celebrants as much as it creates the visual poetry that makes Nigerian weddings different from everything else in the world.

Ankara Fabric (Iwaria Inc - Unsplash)

It is a fact that high quality Aso Ebi fabrics, especially the lace, George, and aso-oke varieties, are as exquisite as they are durable. We have seen too many clips online of these fabrics passed down generations. Hence, there is a possibility for these designs to be restyled by skilled tailors to look entirely different. The headscarf from a 2022 wedding can be a fresh accessory in 2026. In fact, some of these fabrics can be reused for other events with similar colour themes rather than buying new ones.

Bringing the sustainability argument into the Nigerian celebration and event planning scene does not mean cutting everything out. This is a call to be more deliberate about what we choose to include in our planning without sacrificing the joy, the community, and the vibrant colours that reflect who we are. Before you plan for another Aso-Ebi as an event host, consider giving people colours to allow for the possibility of your guests wearing what they already have in their closet, rather than just focusing on the sentimental value. You may also consider not holding people to ransom because they decline buying your event Aso Ebi.