Confidence in every stitch: how WEIDE is helping a Nigerian fashion brand with a purpose

Faith Obi-Ekpeme began designing clothes during her university days, when she started creating ready-to-wear pieces for friends who had recently given birth. Today, the confidence she has gained in her entrepreneurial abilities mirrors the confidence her customers feel when they wear her designs.

Ms Obi-Ekpeme is the Founder and Creative Director of Faithriel Designs and Styles Ltd, a ready-to-wear fashion brand that began in Makurdi, Benue State in Nigeria, and has since scaled up and established its base in Abuja. What began as an idea to create fashion pieces that would help new mothers to feel good about themselves while accommodating postpartum changes has since evolved into a fully-fledged company that creates dresses using African prints and contemporary fabrics, with a focus on helping women to feel comfortable and confident regardless of their body shapes or stages of life.

For Ms Obi-Ekpeme, this mission is personal. She lives with a hormone imbalance and endometriosis, which can cause severe bloating and change her body shape, and this has often made it difficult for her to find clothes she considered stylish. These experiences deepened her understanding of the challenges many women face and strengthened her determination to create clothing that supports them.

"As I continued to build my brand, I noticed that many new mothers were experiencing challenges similar to mine," she said. "I wanted to create pieces that allow women to feel confident without compromising style."

Building the business behind the brand

Before becoming a beneficiary of the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund, Ms Obi-Ekpeme knew that, while she had the drive and creativity to build a fashion brand, she would need to improve her business skills if she was to turn her vision into a sustainable enterprise.

"Although I was passionate about fashion, I needed stronger skills in business management, financial planning, marketing and business growth strategies," she said.

Limited access to funding was another challenge. Like many small business owners, Faithriel Designs and Styles Ltd needed better equipment and greater production capacity, but investing in these areas was difficult.

Ms Obi-Ekpeme applied to the WEIDE Fund because she wanted to build not only a fashion brand, but a sustainable business, supported by practical knowledge, mentorship and a network that could help her grow.

Through coaching provided by the WEIDE Fund, she learned to define her niche, clarify her value proposition and develop a clearer understanding of her customers. She also learned how to approach online sales more systematically, including choosing the right platform and preparing content, payments and logistics before launching online.

One of the most valuable lessons she learned was how to map the customer journey. For example, when the exercise revealed that customers considering products were hesitating because her brand had limited visible reviews and few real customer photographs, Ms Obi-Ekpeme learned to turn that insight into measurable targets and a 90-day action plan. Improving customer trust became a concrete business priority with clear actions and deadlines.

Turning the grant into production capacity

The WEIDE grant allowed Ms Obi-Ekpeme to address some of the practical constraints affecting her business.

She used part of the grant to invest in a solar inverter system, as the inconsistent electricity supply was frequently interrupting production. This enabled her team to continue working even during power outages. She also purchased new sewing machines, a dress mannequin, a fabric-cutting machine and a solar-powered iron.

These investments have increased the efficiency and speed of production, improved the quality of the work and helped the business to serve customers more effectively.

"The grant was more than financial support - it allowed me to build a stronger foundation for my business and to position Faithriel Designs and Styles Ltd for long-term growth," Ms Obi-Ekpeme said.

Confidence to dream bigger

The changes have not been limited to equipment: the company is reaching more customers through both physical stores and online platforms, and its brand visibility has increased. Ms Obi-Ekpeme is also becoming more confident in exploring opportunities to expand into international markets.

"Beyond the technical skills, the coaching gave me the confidence to dream bigger and believe that my business could grow beyond what I initially imagined," she said.

For Ms Obi-Ekpeme, the most meaningful impact of the programme has been the confidence it has given her to see her business differently.

"The programme's greatest impact was the confidence it gave me. It reaffirmed that my dreams are valid and that my business can make a meaningful difference," she said.

"Believe in your vision, even when the journey seems difficult. Start with what you have, keep learning, and don't be afraid to ask for help," she concluded.

About the WEIDE Fund

Launched in 2024 by the WTO Secretariat and the International Trade Centre (ITC), the WEIDE Fund addresses persistent barriers faced by women entrepreneurs in accessing finance, digital tools and global trade opportunities. The Fund is supported by the United Arab Emirates, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Legacy Fund and the Kingdom of Bahrain. It is currently being implemented in four countries in partnership with four business support organizations: ProDominicana, the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).