Trends in the Development of Indigenous Weaving Technology in Ilorin
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Date
2017
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Published by the Centre for Ilorin Studies, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
Abstract
History has shown the pivot role of indigenous technology in stimulating the emergence of modern technology across the world. From the rudimentary stage of the early man’s stone tools, (the forebears of modern technology), through the stage of refinement and perfection, human society has continually been aided by technology. This paper, thus, aims at evaluating the trends in the development of indigenous weaving technology in Ilorin, by highlighting its aspects of innovation, challenges and prospects. The historical method was adopted in the study, that is, the use of library, archival materials and oral interviews. Findings revealed that hand-woven textile has a long heritage in Ilorin; the craft was probably inherited from migrant groups from Old Oyo Empire, following its fall. The emergence of the technology in Ilorin has also been linked with the Hausa land, through commercial relations during the long distance trade, the latter, also having a long and rich history of indigenous weaving in the pre-colonial period. From the 1960s, modern thread industries emerged in Kano, Kaduna and later, Ilorin; thus manually spun thread, with its attendant challenges, became of less importance. This stimulated greater participation in the craft and increased the industry’s production capacity. By the late 1980s through 1990s, the industry recorded tremendous youth involvement in the form of apprenticeship scheme. Weavers, though embarked on innovation in few aspects of their technology, particularly in the size of the loom used, production still remains largely labour-intensive and time-consuming.
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Keywords
Technology,, Weaving,, Ilorin, Commerce
Citation
Alabi, O. M. (2017): Trends in the Development of Indigenous Weaving Technology in Ilorin. In The Socio-Economic Development of Ilorin Emirate since the 20th Century. Oseni, Z. I., Abdulsalam. A. S., Yusuf, B. O. and Jawondo, I. A. (eds.) 112-129, Published by the Centre for Ilorin Studies, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.