Nigeria is a very hot country. I have found it extremely difficult to move around, wearing even a shirt. I have found it more comfortable moving around in a T-shirt.

It is there fore puzzling to me, that Nigerians love full siuts and ties.

Yes, we also wear full siuts and ties in Kenya, but they are only worn in the higher areas. The coastal and lower areas are just as hot as Nigeria. In these areas, people are more casual in their dress. You actually look ridiculous in a full suit or even a jacket. This is the same in all the other countries around us.

In the highsr areas, such as Nairobi, people wear full suits. It is colder. And as you go to yet higher areas, people change from full suits to even heavier clothing, including shawls and caps, to keep warm.

Nigeria has a wonderful traditional dress. The women are beautiful and striking, and the men are elegant.

So why do you wear such inappropriate clothing for such weather?

SAMSON LIPUKA
NAIROBI
KENYA

Nigerians wear suit and tie because they want and they can.

I just came back from Nigeria and I have to say that just looking at people with the whole three piece thing makes me even hotter. I asked one of my inlaws why that is even necessary and he said more than likely they are out job hunting. I felt if someone was that dedicated to finding a job that he will roast in that outfit someone should just offer him a job as soon as he walks in.

Ehmm!! do they wear suit in Europe and America during summer? or do the Aussies wear suit and tie?

what about the agbada of a thing?

Thanks @ poster. i too wonder. i just came back from Nigeria and Boy, it was HOT HOT, the whole time, all I had on were tini winie tops and pats or just short dress. ( I was still sweating )Even in the hotels with AC and all, I still found it hot. I think one has to get used to it and it will be ok. I was there for a week and I refused to take any cab if it has no AC and a working seat beat. And like the poster I too wondered how the rest of the people I meet felt in their fullsuits and ties.

ain't none a y'all listened to Fela's "gentleman"?
i think that song explains it all -
nigerians and their obsesseion with looking janded as they see it. its the same thing that makes potbellied old men and chicks wear tank tops and constitute a general assault on eyesight

I was almost PML as I read the comments on this - was in Naija a month ago and just could not fathom why there were these okada boys with full blown winter coats on. It was snowing when I left London but even their coats would have been too much for snow!

The joke is even though weather-wise I was dressed appropriately, you would have thought I was walking around nekkid with the looks I was getting. Ejo explain me to me how this makes sense

Oh dear! you made my day. I have been laughing the whole day. Almost got knocked down. Well, each to his own peculiar habits

@poster

I can't understand it myself. The saddest part is that most of them do not really look good in suits with their pot bellies, fat necks and k-legs.

Please advise them to stick to their babarigas without underwears. They look sexier in the babarigas than in those monkey suits.

Xiomarra:

@poster

I can't understand it myself. The saddest part is that most of them do not really look good in suits with their pot bellies, fat necks and k-legs.

Please advise them to stick to their babarigas without underwears. They look sexier in the babarigas than in those monkey suits.

The suits and ties are worn in the office,mind you there are ACs in most offices e.g Banks.So going home,they wont leave the suit in the office.

That is the way I see it.I am a Nigerian and I wear suit at times.

I see there are many conflicting answers to this riddle. Maybe we should ask ourselves just what we should wear to look smart But thanks guys.

Maybe Kenyans tie wrapper in all setting but in Naija most official functions demand formal dressing at all times of the year. Which is the prevailing culture worldwide. People still wear tie and suit in most countries during the dog days of summer if the occasion demands.

The fact is that majority of Nigerians don't even own a suit. Stand on a major Naija street and you will confirm that less than 1% wear suit in their day to day activities.

I just hate generalization with no empirical proof.

i've sometimes wandered this myself, and some of these people are not even going to work, yet they still wear full suit, tie, the whole lot. And its these very people who have bad body odour

@poster

i no blame u!

na cos u neva wrk for office b4! u no get official car! wey company driver dey carry u go anywhere

if cold catch u with A/C peren!!! nobody go tell u b4 u wia ur coat and tie

If you are cold,you don't need the aircondition then.

Must it be suits?colos,caricatures of oyibos,i find blackman wearing suits very funny,even in the west,not to talk of africa,it's like people don't want to let go the indoctrinations,oyibo man don free you,you no wan freeyourself.I hate dress codes,especially when it's stipulated by the the so-called masters,you know,sophisticated monsters.

Redsun,

Very true Redsun. We need to change our attitudes and wear what is appropriate to our weather

European colonisation. A lot of them are not aware of the fact that these europeans put on a three piece suit in their country to keep them warm from harsh and cold weather. Have you ever seen our men in big flowing agbada and socks? I have, you see them at weddings and their offices. And they look so pathetic.

@redsun

find blackman wearing suits very funny,even in the west,not to talk of africa

That is the most racist comment ever? Thank God people like you don't run the country if you did everybody would be going to work all thugged out with there bandanas, their doo-rags, baggie jeans sagging to the bottom and a singlet with braids or dreadlocks on, while the girls would be wearing bikini, or skimpy shorts to the corporate board meeting. From what you said about dress codes it seems that you are still a kid though, but boy oh boy you sure do have a lot of learning to do.
For your information, everybody round the world wears full suit and tie irrespective of the weather, in asia where it is brutally hot and humid especially in places like vietnam infact the entire middle east, South America, Asia and even in the  carribean, people wear full suits. It is not a white man's thing it is a corporate thing, it is not colomentality, it is a business thing, it is not a racial issue it is a globalization thing so please keep your ignorant comments to yourself.

Also, if you hate the West so much why are you in there country, why don't you go back home instead.

@coolier

Have you ever seen our men in big flowing agbada and socks? I have, you see them at weddings and their offices. And they look so pathetic

That is the worst comment ever Mrs. Donatella Versace. In the middle east, people were their flowing gowns from there culture, does that make them stupid. Geez, think before you talk will ya.

My goodness! i can't believe i just wasted 20 minutes of my life responding to this, a good 20 minutes i would never get back.

that is the business attire
see how ridiculous yaradua looked at the g8 summit

vivaladiva:

that is the business attire
see how ridiculous yaradua looked at the g8 summit

who made that rule?

Looks stupid in hot African countries to be wearing a shirt, tie and suit

Its colomentality. It has pervaded every section of our lives.
The people abroad are making it owrse by trying to lie that EVERYTHING abroad is better than anything Nigerian. Those who know better know this to be false

In those days i wore ladies suit, even used those heavy blankets at night why? because me body had adapted fully to the sun.
Nowadays if i go to Nigeria, even from the airport i am moaning it is too hot e.t.c the reason been my body is no longer used to the weather

JustGood:

who made that rule?

The British made that rule, and it has stuck. Culture spreads.

Simple, they took after the people that colonised them!

My dad was in the Civil Service in Nigeria, and he wore a 3-piece.

But during hot weather, he just wore the trousers of his suit, a cotton shirt and tie.
Once it got very hot, the tie came off, and he undid the top button of his shirt.

Why roast in a stuffy suit in baking weather?
Yes, there are other countries that are hot too, but some of these hot countries are just dry hot, Nigeria's heat is a sticky, sweaty sort.
I too think it's daft, seing people suited and booted, ties on, with sweat pouring off them!

And most of the suit-wearers in Nigeria's blistering climate still wear a vest under their shirts, sometimes a t-shirt!

That is the dress code in the corporate world. Have you seen execs with Baggy jeans and singlets or why does Koffi Annan wear suit and not wrapper from Kente Material?

dayokanu:

That is the dress code in the corporate world. Have you seen execs with Baggy jeans and singlets or why does Koffi Annan wear suit and not wrapper from Kente Material?

In the corporate world, it's still acceptable to wear your suit trousers, a shirt and tie.
A jacket's not compulsory, if it's 50 degrees, and you're sweating like a pig!