Nigeria is known for her unique cultural heritage. One aspect of that cultural heritage is the use of aso-ebi, a unique fabric people wear during special ceremonies to celebrate with family members and friends.

Aso-ebi, which means family cloth, originated from the Yoruba of South-West Nigeria as a means of identifying with relatives at events. From Yoruba land, the culture of aso-ebi spread to other ethnic groups in Nigeria.

In the mid-1980s, access to textile materials such as ankara and lace was easy as the country boasted of 175 textile firms that produced 72 percent of the textiles made in West Africa. Decades later, there were 25 factories operating at less than 50 percent capacity and employing only 25,000 workers.

In May 2007, former President Olusegun Obasanjo made an attempt to save the industry by launching a N70 billion Textile Development Fund, which appeared to give a new impetus to production of aso-ebi as local fabrics improved.

Asoebi did not only become a fashion statement for some women, it became a status symbol for them. For the super-rich who wanted class distinction, some aso-ebi went for as much as N50,000 and N100,000.

However, since 2016, the aso-ebi culture has taken a nosedive. The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019 worsened the situation. Aso-ebi joined other household items which suffered low patronage due to inflation. Just as in other household goods and services, women are at the centre of aso-ebi patronage.

Vanguard’s Economy & Lifestyle investigation shows that while some celebrants sell aso-ebi between N700 to N1000 per yard, most women complain that the price of making a dress from it is higher than the amount used to purchase the aso-ebi materials.

Mrs. Victoria Abiola, a civil servant, says in the last six to eight months, the state of the economy has had a negative impact on her lifestyle: “I don’t do aso-ebi. I could easily afford aso-ebi of N30,000 or N35, 000, but that stopped. I know in the last 10 months I have only gotten two aso-ebi, and I bought the smallest yards, maybe two yards, because I didn’t want to be left out.”

For Mrs. Ogunba Shade, a business woman and teacher, “the present economic situation has been harsh on women who are the most active in marketplaces in terms of buying and selling. I am trying to cut out items that are not essential, especially the aso-ebi. What I do is to send a token to family members who have events because I know I will spend more if I attend.”

Miss Shade Ogunowo, a fashion designer, says the effect of the increase in prices of goods and services is telling on her business as many women no longer buy aso-ebi, not to talk of remembering the tailors for making the clothes: “The state of our economy is very devastating. I am single and a tailor. I was making up to five dresses daily from aso-ebi, and each dress ranges from N3,000 upward.

“But now, the prices of materials used for sewing are going up everyday, and women no longer buy aso-ebi as before because of the high cost of sewing them, especially when it comes impromptu.”

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s annual inflation rate climbed to 15.7 percent in February 2022 from 15.6 percent in the previous month, as fuel shortages drove transport costs higher (15.1 percent), thereby affecting goods and commodities. (Vanguard)

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