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Fashion Design & Tailoring

Measure, cut, and sew garments that sell.

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About this course

From taking measurements to finishing a garment — build the core tailoring skills behind a profitable fashion business.

To sew anything well, whether it’s a simple shift dress for Mama Ngozi or a full agbada for a senator, you first need to take accurate body measurements. This is like laying a strong foundation for a house. If your measurements are off, your garment will either be too tight and uncomfortable, or too baggy and unflattering, no matter how good your sewing machine is. Forget guessing; we measure precisely so the clothes fit like they were made for that specific person.

Who this course is for

This course is for the person who has always been told they 'have hands' but has never been taught the system behind a garment that fits: school leavers deciding between an apprenticeship and a formal programme, mothers who want an income they can run from a bedroom or a shop front, and existing tailors who learned by watching an oga and still guess at measurements. It assumes no sewing experience and no machine of your own on day one — the first two lessons can be done with a tape, paper and pencil.

What you'll learn

By the end you will be able to

Pay, demand and the market in Nigeria

Tailoring is one of the few trades in Nigeria with demand in every town and every season: school uniforms in September, aso-ebi for December weddings, Sallah and Christmas outfits, corporate uniforms, and the year-round repair and adjustment work that keeps a shop busy. In 2026 a beginner charging ₦5,000 to ₦12,000 for simple men's and women's wear, and ₦15,000 to ₦40,000 once they can handle fitted and embellished work, can reach ₦150,000 to ₦400,000 a month from a small shop, with aso-ebi bulk orders and uniform contracts paying far more. Skilled tailors with a following price single outfits at ₦50,000 and above. The constraint is never customers; it is finishing quality, keeping delivery dates, and pricing above the cost of the cloth.

Tools and what it costs to start

A tape, paper, pencil, ruler, scissors and pins get you through drafting. For sewing, a manual or electric straight-stitch machine (a used Butterfly or Singer is common from ₦60,000 to ₦120,000 in 2026; a new industrial Juki from about ₦350,000), an iron, and a small notions box. Many learners start by renting time on a machine at a nearby shop or a training centre, which the course explicitly plans for. Power is the recurring cost — a manual machine or a small inverter keeps you working during outages.

Course syllabus — 11 lessons

  1. Reading the body: measurements12 min
  2. Drafting your first pattern18 min
  3. Skirts and trousers: drafting the lower body16 min
  4. Sleeves, necklines and collars15 min
  5. Cutting fabric without waste14 min
  6. Sewing and finishing24 min
  7. Fitting and alterations15 min
  8. Nigerian styles: native wear for men and women17 min
  9. Linings, interfacing and finishing that looks expensive16 min
  10. Running your tailoring business17 min
  11. Project: a complete outfit60 min

Your project

My First Nigerian Outfit

Submit clear photos or a short video (1-2 minutes) of your finished garment. In the submission, also include a short written description (1-2 paragraphs) detailing the measurements you used, the fabric type, and your estimated selling price in Naira (₦).

You measure a real person, draft the pattern, cut, sew and finish one complete outfit, then submit photos or a short video with your measurement card and a note on fabric, cost and price. The examiner looks for fit at the shoulder, bust or chest and waist, clean seams and finishing, and honest pricing — not for embellishment.

Certificates on Skillnaija are earned, not issued for attendance: you submit this project, it is graded against a rubric, and passing issues a certificate anyone can verify. See the full project brief, rubric and free workbook →

Frequently asked questions

Is Fashion Design & Tailoring free?

Yes. Fashion Design & Tailoring is completely free on Skillnaija. You need a free account to open the lessons, and there is no charge for the course, the project, or the certificate.

How long does Fashion Design & Tailoring take to complete?

10 weeks · ~6 hrs/week. There are 11 lessons, about 4 hours of material in total. You learn at your own pace and your progress is saved.

Do I need any experience to start Fashion Design & Tailoring?

Beginner-friendly. You can start from scratch — no prior experience is assumed.

What will I learn in Fashion Design & Tailoring?

You will build practical skills in Measurement, Pattern drafting, Machine sewing, Finishing & pricing, Skirt and trouser blocks, Sleeves, necklines and collars, Fitting and alterations, Nigerian native wear, Linings, interfacing and finishing, Pricing and running a tailoring business. Every lesson is written for a Nigerian context, with examples drawn from how the work is actually done and paid for here.

Do I get a certificate for Fashion Design & Tailoring?

Yes, but it has to be earned. You complete the course project — My First Nigerian Outfit and submit it for grading. Passing the project issues a verifiable certificate; finishing the lessons alone does not.

Can I learn tailoring online without a physical instructor?

The drafting, cutting plans, sequencing and pricing are fully learnable from the lessons and illustrations, and most learners are surprised how much of a garment's quality is decided before the machine starts. Machine control itself needs practice hours, and the course tells you exactly what to practise each week. Pairing the course with an hour or two a week at a nearby tailor's shop, or with a training centre, gives the best results.

How much does it cost to start a tailoring business in Nigeria in 2026?

From about ₦100,000 to ₦250,000 for a used machine, iron, tools, notions and the first fabrics if you work from home; a rented shop space adds ₦150,000 to ₦600,000 a year depending on the town. Many tailors start with home clients and only rent a shop once bookings are steady.

Is a certificate useful for a tailor?

It matters more than people expect for two kinds of work: uniform and corporate contracts, where a school or company wants evidence of training, and fashion-brand jobs, where the brand hires machinists and pattern cutters. For walk-in customers, your finished garments are the certificate — which is why this course's certificate is only issued for a finished outfit.

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