How Lydia David upscale from needlework to global markets

What started as a modest needlework hustle for Lydia David, the founder and CEO at Edelyn Nigeria, has grown into a thriving fashion enterprise with export potential.

Through determination, training, and strategic scaling, Lydia is carving a path that positions her brand for global relevance, with eyes on export-scale production.

Lydia, a graduate of microbiology from the University of Cross River State, Uyo, in 1989 and who worked in the environmental department at Shell during her national service, felt an urge to design and sew in 1992.

By 1995, she had registered Edelyn Nigeria Company, makers of Edelyn Shirts, and began teaching herself the practical skills she needed to turn design into a business.

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Speaking about her trajectory from hand-sewn children’s wear to shirts, which she described as a child of circumstances, she said, “One of my husband’s friends wanted shirts, not children’s clothes. I had to climb a chair to measure him because he was very tall.

“When I got home, I studied an Italian shirt piece by piece and bought fabric for my husband. Then my sister brought a sewing machine, and I learned to pedal it and sew straight lines.”

The startup capital, according to the young fashion entrepreneur, came from her monthly feeding money. Furthermore, she encountered another challenge, which was that her husband was angry with her for buying the fabrics without his prior knowledge.

However, after a while, the man decided to take her to meet his friends, who had to buy some of the shirts and paid, hence, multiplying her small investment five times.

Lydia credits practical learning and family help for her progress. Her husband, a materials engineer, taught her pattern drafting. Customers’ compliments gave her the confidence to begin producing shirts for her friends.

“When the shirts are good, whether you pay or not, I was happy to keep going,” she said.

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Over the years, Lydia built a training model around skills and jobs. Before hiring staff, she ran a six-month Graduate Trainees Programme for youth who had finished basic tailoring.

Between 2003 and 2005, she was invited by the Ministry of Industry, the Export Promotion Council and UNDP to run capacity-building programmes for shirt exports.

In 2009, she added formal business training with an entrepreneurial certificate from Pan-African University, Lagos. She also mentors through the Fate Foundation and speaks at programmes for women starting small businesses.

Quality and a clear product focus helped Edelyn stand out. Lydia uses high-grade sample fabrics originally produced for top designers and also makes native shirts from adire and Ankara.

“Our shirts are tailored for a corporate look. We do regular, comfort and slim fits. Special care is paid to collars and cuffs. The care unit takes extra time for quality assurance,” she said.

A difficult customer episode in 2008 shaped an important business rule. A prominent client brought his own fabric and ordered over 50 shirts. After he complained, the dispute went to the police. Lydia said the business returned the sewing fees but lost money because the fabric was not returned. Since then, she does not accept customer fabric; customers buy from Edelyn and can return items if there is a problem.

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Lydia’s business mixes commerce with community work. She runs promotions, gives free shirts for qualifying customers, produces children’s shirts for motherless homes, and donates for crusades.

She also points to a proud training achievement: retraining 60 students who returned from Bangladesh with little practical skill. Her six-month retraining helped them graduate able to produce shirts.

Looking ahead, Lydia shared her expansion vision and export scale plans. “I need an automated factory that can produce 1,000 shirts a day for export from Africa,” she said.

To the upcoming entrepreneurs, she counsels them to start step by step and be patient. “Your work speaks. It might delay, but you will get there. Through steady learning, practical mentoring and a focus on quality,” she said.

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