Nigerian artisans preserve handwoven fabric amid rising global demand

In Iseyin, a sleepy town in southwestern Nigeria, shaded spaces under trees, makeshift sheds, and narrow alleys serve as production hubs for aso-oke, a handwoven fabric indigenous to the Yoruba people.

Demand for this fabric has surged both domestically and internationally, fuelled by the Nigerian diaspora and the growing global recognition of the country’s fashion and music culture. Despite this popularity, artisans steadfastly resist mechanisation, maintaining that handweaving is essential to the fabric’s unique character.

Located roughly 200km (108 miles) from Lagos, Nigeria’s cultural and fashion epicentre, Iseyin stands as the acknowledged home of aso-oke. Under the intense heat of a muggy morning, yards of yarn and freshly woven fabrics stretch across dusty spaces surrounded by weathered sheds where weavers diligently work behind wooden looms. The craft has become an economic lifeline, attracting young people, including university graduates, who flock to Iseyin to learn the tradition.

Bare-chested with tattooed biceps glistening, Waliu Fransisco works at his wooden loom, the rhythmic click-clack filling the air as he weaves a cream-and-blue fabric. Ten years ago, Fransisco abandoned his career as a Lagos nightclub singer to master aso-oke weaving. Though he initially found the physical demands challenging, he has no regrets about his decision.

“Now I earn a decent living from weaving aso-oke and I’m satisfied,” the 34-year-old told AFP.

Aso-oke, which roughly translates to “the cloth from up country”, is a thick, often vibrantly multicoloured fabric that has become a staple in Nigeria, Africa’s fashion capital. It appears in traditional ceremonial attire, statement fashion pieces, and casual wear. Strips are sewn onto other fabrics, adding distinctive color and elegance, as seen when Meghan Markle wore an aso-oke wrapper and shoulder shawl during her visit to Nigeria with Britain’s Prince Harry two years ago.

In Iseyin, the steady rhythm of ancient wooden looms provides the soundtrack to a tradition passed through generations. Aso-oke remains both a cultural emblem and a marker of identity. Historically, production involved preparing threads from cotton or silk—cleaning, spinning, and dyeing fibers using traditional methods before setting them on looms, with limited colour options.

Today’s weavers increasingly use loom-ready threads in diverse colours “mostly imported from China”, according to 42-year-old weaver Abdulhammed Ajasa. Artisans spend hours arranging threads on looms to create narrow, tightly patterned strips that are later sewn together into wider cloths for garments and accessories.

“This is what Iseyin is known for,” says Kareem Adeola, 35, from behind his loom. “We inherited it from our forefathers.”