Cardinal Counsel’s Managing Partner, Bernice Ofunre Asein, was featured in a BBC investigation into labour conditions across Nigeria’s fashion and modelling industry, published in November 2025, following that year’s Lagos Fashion Week.

The BBC’s reporting examined a string of concerns raised by models and designers, including unpaid or delayed wages, contested agency fees, poor working conditions at castings, and disputes between designers and model agencies over compensation. Speaking to the BBC, Bernice described the situation as reflective of a wider labour law gap in Nigeria, one where models are increasingly speaking up after years of working without the protections that more developed fashion markets have already put in place.

She pointed to the New York Fashion Workers Act as a useful reference point, a state labour law that requires payment within a set number of days of a completed job, mandates written contracts for all modelling work, and protects models from unauthorised use of their images. Bernice’s view, as shared with the BBC, is that Nigeria’s fashion industry would benefit from a similar code of conduct, whether through legislative reform or industry self regulation, to bring pay transparency and basic worker protections to models, designers, and agencies alike.

This reporting sits squarely within Cardinal Counsel’s ongoing work in fashion law, an area where the firm regularly advises models, designers, and agencies on contract disputes, payment terms, and industry standards. It also connects directly to the gaps the firm has written about previously, including our analysis of the five most common failures in Nigerian modelling agency contracts.

If you are a model, designer, or agency navigating a contract dispute, unpaid fees, or unclear working terms, Cardinal Counsel can help. Contact us at info@cardinalcounsel.co.

Cardinal Counsel (Barristers & Solicitors) | Suite D14, Adeniran Ogunsanya Mall, Surulere, Lagos | info@cardinalcounsel.co