What Okrika Fashion Says About Us as a People

Thrifting—the entire process of buying and wearing secondhand clothing—isn’t exactly something we adored as little kids. And in Nigeria, unless you live in an estate with 24/7 power, fancy cereal, and a closet full of clothes still in their original label, there is a high chance that you've worn Okrika or bend-down-select, as we are mostly familiar with.

Okrika fashion goes beyond our faded denim with suspicious designer tags, to becoming a way of life, a movement that has shaped how we dress, express ourselves, and go through puddles of identity in an Africa that’s still finding its economic balance and global fashion voice.

The Roots of Thrifting

The term “Okrika” became shorthand for secondhand fashion, but it was first the name of a real town in Rivers State, in Nigeria's Niger Delta region.

As is a common trend in Nigeria, sellers are often known closely by what they sell, such that the product becomes the seller's nickname. In this case, the location became the local name for the product.

Hence, in the early post-colonial period, when ships brought used clothes to the shores of Okrika, a seaport in Rivers State, south-south Nigeria, the name “Okrika” was adopted.

Other names for secondhand clothes include “Tokunbo”, translating to “From the sea” in Yoruba, “Bọ́ sí korò”, Yoruba for ‘move to the corner', “Akube", “Bend-down-select”, and “Gwanjo.”

How has Okrika Evolved?

Over the years, the perception of ‘Okrika’ has shifted, from those who view it as a cost-effective way to dress, expressing this belief with the known pidgin phrase, “Na mumu dey go boutique.”

This phrase emphasizes the bias that second-hand attire is a sensible choice. On the other hand, some people see second-hand clothes with negative stereotypes and consider them a compromise in quality.

The Okrika market contributes considerably to Nigeria’s casual financial system. The market’s operations are largely casual, with many merchants working without formal registration or taxation. Regardless of this, the market generates substantial income and offers employment alternatives.

Beyond the name, its presentation has changed, from the familiar “bend-down-select” markets to curated thrift stores and online vendors that now reflect a new era for fashion.

Social media has not been left out of the gist, transforming the once-neglected outfits into stylish, sustainable, and socially acceptable fashion pieces.

What Does Okrika Say to Us as a People?

In Nigeria, okrika reflects both our realities and our resilience. It tells the story of a people who, in the face of economic inequality, still find ways to express our individuality and pride through diverse styles.

With Okrika, we have become adaptable, combining global fashion with African expressions. Okrika has become a cultural patchwork–someone else’s past stitched into our present, enabling us to create our identity from fragments of globalization.

As Afrocritik, the pan-African media platform, puts it, “This 'yassification' of Okirika has elevated the perceived value of thrift items. The 'bend-down-select' people who go to the market to purchase are now positioned as high-quality fashion finds, challenging the misconception that second-hand clothing is synonymous with wear and tear and only for poor people.”

Yet, Okrika also underscores the tensions we live with, the balance between affordability and aspiration, imported identity and local heritage. Critics warn that secondhand dominance can weaken homegrown textile industries, raising questions of cultural dependency. But in that tension lies an honest identity of who we are—resourceful, creative, and not afraid to combine survival into style.

In the end, Okrika says that we are a people of grit and flair. It tells the world that while money may shape our wardrobes, it does not define our style. Our closets, thrifted or not, are proof of an African spirit that thrives on resilience, reinvention, and radical self-expression.