Once upon a time in Ilorin, Kwara State, Aso Oke weaving was a booming craft in all households and compounds in the ancient town. It is a vocation that all indigenes of the community were exposed to right from their impressionable years. But the vocation has become virtually extinct with few people now involved in the craft. Daily Trust on Sunday has found out.

Aso-Oke, the superb textile material hand-woven on simple looms, was synonymous with Ilorin. Woven in intricately beautiful patterns made from dyed strands of fabric that are woven into strips of cloth, Aso-Oke are of different kinds namely Alaari, Sanyan and Etu, among others. It takes time to weave Aso-Oke fabric because of the delicate pattern it is often made. It can also be made with a silk fabric which enhances the colours and the material.

It was one vocation that ensured food was put on the table of many households even as many indigenes of the community had their education funded from the proceeds made from the sales of the fabrics by their fathers and guardians. Many compounds and residential areas used to be a beehive of activities with people weaving and processing the materials used in making the fabric.

No adult in the community would not have been under the tutelage of one weaver or the other or exposed to the vocation. It is a vocation that has produced business tycoons within the community through regular offers from various parts of the country, especially in Yoruba land.

The fabric is usually worn at ceremonial functions like wedding, funeral and conferment of chieftaincy titles on prominent persons. Many couples usually adorn in Aso Oke during their wedding ceremony while at some occasions, only grooms choose to wear the fabric during Wolimat, preparatory to the actual wedding ceremony. The level of patronage received within and outside the state has been the source of encouragement for many people who took Aso Oke weaving as a means of livelihood.

Daily Trust Correspondent's findings revealed that Aso Oke weaving was more popular in areas like Idi- Ape, Dada, Okelele, Agbaji, Okekere, Oke-Apomu, Isale-Aluko, Okeleru, Abayawo, Gogoro, Abeemi, among others in Ilorin metropolis. It was a trade held in high esteem. For most indigenes of Ilorin, there was no time for indolence as they were ordered to resume at Idi Ofi (the weaving enclave, as it is called in local parlance) as soon as they returned from schools.

"This was the practice in Ilorin in those days but it no longer happens now thanks to civilization, which according to observers though, seems to be eroding the customs and traditions of the community. Besides, the sudden realization that politics is everything and its lure of youth was said to have dissuaded the youths from weaving Aso Oke textiles as they see politics as the quickest and easiest way to make money.

An Ilorin-based entrepreneur and chairman of Yola Consultants, Engr. Lanre Shagaya while delivering a lecture at a forum organised by some elites of Ilorin decried the neglect of the various trades and vocations that are intrinsically identified with Ilorin. According to him, politics has turned most of the community's entrepreneurs into emergency contractors, political jobbers and hangers-on. The entrepreneurial orientation of Ilorin emirate community could be gleaned from names of compounds and residences identified with one vocation or the other. One vocation that usually comes to mind as being significantly Ilorin is Aso Oke weaving.

What future for Aso Oke?

This is the poser obviously bothering stakeholders and leaders of Ilorin emirate community and its environs. Our correspondent could report that though Aso Oke still thrives as a vocation in some parts of Ilorin, it is not as it used to be 15 to 20 years ago when it was an all-comers affairs with parents transferring the skills to their children right from childhood. Now, it is a vocation practiced by few people; majority of whom are now aged, while their children show little or no interest in practicing the craft.

"Alfa Laaro Lamule Omo-Oba who hails from Idi-Ape lamented that Aso Oke weaving could go into extinction if care is not taken. Though there is still hot demand for the fabric, people have developed lacklustre attitude towards the vocation, he said.

The cloth weaver who disclosed that he has been in the business for 25years, stated that the craft may go under given the numerous challenges confronting the weaver. Among the challenges he enumerated include the lack of interest in weaving by the present generation of youth, the challenge of moving the fabrics to markets where there is high demand like Ibadan, Lagos, among others, as well as what he called change in fashion trend with people now patronizing the Ankara fabric, lace materials, among other latest garments.

He said: "I have been weaving for about 25 years but it is now gradually fading out because there are several problems hindering the growth of the local industry. But I decided to continue in the business in order to meet my financial obligations.

"Unlike before, when Aso Oke was the only fabric used by people, many now prefer Ankara and head gear instead of Ofi and this has greatly affected our business. People prefer to use what is in vogue rather than what is good because I believe Aso Oke is better than all these trendy garments.

"Beside, people are not ready to learn Aso Oke weaving again. You know the rush for it then and how parents usually sent their children to us to learn the vocation. But the craze for western education and white collar jobs has taken their eyes off this business. It is sad but they fail to realize that it is very profitable now. You can acquire western education and at the same time practise this vocation; you can also apply your western education to modernise the business.

"People are not ready to weave again and the demand is more than what we can produce. Imagine a situation whereby there is demand for forty pieces and we are able to produce just fifteen pieces, apparently demand is more than supply, it is a great challenge, despite the fact that it is now more profitable than ever."

I thank God I have been able to carry out many good things through this business. I send my children to school and pay other necessary bills at home."

On his part, Alhaji Musa Adisa stated that the vocation still thrives even though few people now weave. Adisa who stated that he had been weaving for the past 20 years explained that Aso Oke weaving is very challenging.

"You have to be committed, diligent and hard-working to succeed in this business. This is what I have been doing all my life. We inherited the vocation from our forefathers. People are still weaving it and it has been modernised now. There are modern methods of weaving Aso Oke," he said, disclosing that he usually supplied customers in Lagos, Ibadan, Oyo state and Kogi.

Sixty-year-old Alfa Ibrahim Onipanmo of Abayawo area of Ilorin disclosed that he had weaved Aso Oke throughout his life. However, none of his children has showed interest in the business as they are bent on going to school. He said though he had no misgivings about enrolling his children in school as two of them have already graduated from the polytechnic, his main concern is the alarming rate of unemployment.

"My two children who finished from polytechnic many years ago are yet to be employed," he explained, adding, "I don't have any other job since I was born and God has really blessed me in this business. We are only praying for more blessings and protection as we travel up and down to market the clothes to various parts of the country. I have been weaving for the past 60 years and we take them to Lagos and we usually get offers from people who even export these fabrics.

Alhaji Abdulganiyu Olateju reiterated that weaving of silk clothes is a veritable means of economic freedom. "You cannot see an Aso Oke weaver going cap in hand to beg. This is how we send our children to school and we don't have any helper except the Almighty Allah. We have been sending our children to schools through the money we make from this business but we hope Aso Oke weaving will continue to wax stronger at least by providing employment opportunity for our children. We are only sending them to schools but we are not sure of employment openings for them. We all know the high unemployment rate in the country, it is very alarming."

Stakeholders believe that lack of promotion of the fabrics within the local community is responsible for the loss of interest from the youth to embrace weaving as obtained in those days. Findings revealed that the same Aso Oke otherwise referred to as silk cloth was a major source of revenue in Ilorin since the 19th century.

At a time the unemployment rate is all-time high, the craft, many say would have been an economic bulwark for the youth who are wandering about indolently. For Ilorin especially, the current high rate of youth restiveness would have been avoided if the youth who have become Area Boys are meaningfully engaged.

Speaking with Daily Trust on Sunday, Alhaji Raji Mohammed, a former Commissioner for Commerce and Cooperatives in the state stated that promoting the craft was the only solution to reviving the activities especially among the youth of the emirate thereby tackling the unemployment challenge. He said:"I remember most of us grew up doing Aso Oke but along the line, the vocation lost its steam and we are where we are today.

"Cloth weaving is not an easy venture. It requires commitment, dedication, diligence and determination, if you are the lazy type I am afraid you cannot weave Aso Oke fabrics. You have to first of all put your energy into it, weave for days and package the clothes for onward selling to the prospective buyers. So if you are not patient enough to process and package these fabrics, you would lose interest in it."

Like Shagaya equally observed, the get-rich-quick syndrome among the youth has also contributed in killing the vocation.

Also speaking on the local industry, a one-time Aso-Oke magnate in the state who stated that cloth weaving is synonymous with Ilorin culture and custom recalled that the June 12 1993 political turmoil disrupted the business as weavers suffered series of attacks trying to export their clothes to Ibadan.

"You know the business involves travelling, we exported it for sales in Ibadan precisely, Oja Oje where people normally come from various parts of the country to buy the clothes", he added.

According to him, modern technology has eased the vocation. On how it is weaved how with the application of the modern technology, he said, "It is made by first washing the thread and then using starch. It is left out to dry. After that, you will roll the thread before you start to weave it. It can take up to 3 hours to finish weaving one piece and can take up to two weeks to finish a complete customized Aso-Oke cloth though this process may not work during rainy season".

Some of the weavers appealed to governments at the federal, state and local government levels to assist them in the area of promotion. They noted that government could encourage them by patronizing them, thereby luring many youth who have developed aversion for the business to have a rethink. For the weavers, it behoves on the stakeholders in Ilorin emirate to preserve the vocation which is an essential component of Ilorin cultural and traditional heritage.