Our Story

UgoAfrik did not start as a business idea. It started as a lesson. 

When I was in JS2, about 12 years old, I wore a T-shirt to church with a random caption on it. A woman jokingly called me “Ape,” because that was what was written on my shirt. I was angry. But she went further to explain something that changed me. She said what we wear should represent who we are. That day, I began to look at clothing differently. I started reading inscriptions on shirts. I started asking questions. I realized clothes are not just fashion. They are identity.

Clothing is more than fabric and style, it carries messages, identity, and culture. For us, fashion is not just about looking good. It is about representing something meaningful.

In the 2000s, American Hip-Hop fashion was everywhere. Many of us copied the style, the captions, the culture, even when it had nothing to do with us. I felt it was misplaced. Why should we wear messages we don’t connect with? Why should we promote identities that are not ours? That was when the vision formed in my heart: to build an Afro-centric clothing line that allows our people to look modern while staying rooted in who they are. That vision has lived with me since 2008. I nurtured it quietly. Today, it is called UgoAfrik.

UgoAfrik was born from a simple but powerful belief: what we wear should reflect who we are. 

This launch phase is more than a product drop. It is the first real step toward building an Igbo-themed clothing house in South-Eastern Nigeria, a space where fashion promotes culture, heritage, and pride. We are working toward selling 5,000 pieces from March to May 2026. The profits will help us establish that creative hub and also fund educational empowerment for 100 Igbo students in SS1–SS3 whose schooling has been affected by lack of funds.

Education should not end because of money. Through UgoAfrik, we want to do something practical about it.

Growing up, I saw bright children leave school because of fees that were less than 5,000 Naira. Today, some of them roam the streets. Some took wrong paths just to survive. That is not the future we want for our children. Education should not end because of money. Through UgoAfrik, we want to do something practical about it.

When you buy from UgoAfrik, you are not just buying a T-shirt or hoodie. You are wearing identity. You are helping build a cultural fashion house in the East. You are helping keep a student in school. This brand was born from a lesson in a church in Onitsha, and it is growing into a movement.

Now we need you to be part of it. Shop with purpose. Wear who you are. Help us build what we started dreaming about many years ago.

- Kenechukwu Onyekachukwu Chukwukelue [Founder]