By Faidat Oyewale
In April, Actively Black, a rapidly growing sportswear brand, announced its partnership with the Nigerian Olympic Committee on Instagram, marking a significant milestone as a black-owned and diaspora-owned business. The brand has designed the kits with bold creativity, incorporating Nigeria’s iconic green and white colors, accented with black, to evoke the country’s rich culture and urban spirit, ensuring both style and comfort for the athletes at the Games.
Following a feature in The New York Times, Actively Black officially unveiled the kits on their Instagram page, expressing gratitude for the recognition. As a Black, Diaspora-owned brand, they consider it an honor to outfit Team Nigeria for the Paris Summer Olympics, providing uniforms for the Opening, Closing, and Awards Ceremonies, as well as Olympic Village gear and competition attire for the Track Team. The brand also announced that limited-edition Team Nigeria merchandise will be available for pre-order starting July 2nd.
Lanny Smith, a former basketball player, founded Actively Black in 2020 with a bold vision to compete with sportswear giants like Nike, Adidas, and Reebok. In just two years, the company has achieved remarkable success, reaching a valuation of $30 million in 2021. According to CNBC, Actively Black generated $5.6 million in revenue last year while championing a diverse group of Black designers and investing 10% of its sales into organizations supporting social justice, mental health, and physical health initiatives in Black communities across the United States.