Women no longer buy aso-ebi as before – Nigerian tailor

Aso-ebi, meaning family dress, has its origin in the South-West of Nigeria (the Yoruba tribe) and over time, it has spread across the country as a means of identifying relatives at ceremonies.

Before now, materials such as ankara and lace were easier to come by and are popular for this uniform tradition, since the country had 175 textile firms producing 72 percent of the textiles in West Africa.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had attempted to save the industry by launching a N70 billion Textile Development Fund, to boost production of aso-ebi.

Some aso-ebi are sold for as high as N50,000 and N100,000. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019 aggravated the situation.

Aso-ebi has since then, suffered low patronage due to the inflation that came with the pandemic.

Findings by TopNaija.ng have revealed that, most women now complain about the price of making a dress increasing compared to the amount of its material.

Mrs. Victoria Abiola, who is a civil servant, explained, “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.”

Mrs. Ogunba Shade, said, “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, who is a fashion designer, mentioned the effect the increase in prices of goods and services on her business saying, “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.”

The National Bureau of Statistics supports this that, Nigeria’s annual inflation rate increased to 15.7 percent in February 2022 from 15.6 percent in the March, due to fuel shortages invariably increasing the cost of transportation as well by 15.1 percent. This eventually affects the prices of goods and commodities.