When Oyo branded Aso Ofi for tourism

The annual celebration of World Tourism Day was observed in Oyo State with the celebration of Aso Ofi, a Yourba traditional clothing material by the state government in collaboration with Weavers Association in the town of Iseyin recently.

Unlike in the previous editions, the celebration of the indigenous fabric is a conscious effort to showcase the quality and uniqueness of the weaved materials and how they add value to the culture and tradition of Yoruba people. Apart from being a special fabric for the king and wealthy people in the society, it is also believed to be a material meant for special occasions.

The colourful celebration of the local fabrics which aimed at exposing the potential economic benefit of engaging in weaving and marketing of the material was graced by the wife of Oyo State governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi; wife of the deputy governor, Mrs Janet Adeyemo; the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba AbdulGaniyn Salau; the Eleruusa of Eruwa, Oba Samuel Adegbola; the Onjo of Okeho, Oba Rafiu Osuolale Mustapha, Onitede of Tede, Oba Rauf Adebimpe the Oladoyin, Olugbo of Igbojaye, Oba Oladimeji Olatunji and other Oke-Ogun traditional rulers.

Others in attendance were, House of Representatives and House of Assembly members from Oke-Ogun area, Commissioners from the state, all caretaker chairmen from Oke-Ogun area, the cultural ambassador to the Alaafin of Oyo, Dr Gomes Paul, as well as other dignitaries and traditional rulers.

The beauty of the material was on display as majority of the participants including tourists and the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun and his entourage were clad in ofi sewn into Agbada and cap to match while some had Buba and Sokoto, Esiki, while women in their natural form tied their wrapper and buba.

But the appearance of Kolawole Akeem Balogun popularly called Osama and Waheed Sakiru Taiwo attracted virtually everybody at the event as the duo displayed creativity by designing suites and ties with Aso Ofi.

For Taiwo, a certified mechanical engineer from Ladoke Akintola University, designing suites with Aso Ofi is just a tip of the iceberg as he said that Aso Ofi can be used to design branded products, produce chairs, shoes, bedsheets, curtains and many others which if embraced by the society will not only reduce the rate of unemployment, but also create wealth for young school leavers as well as for export.

Taiwo said he decided to place premium on weaving and marketing Aso ofi above mechanical engineering which he studied at the university because “there is future in it than mechanical engineering. I am a mechanical engineer, but I don’t think that engineering stuff can get my attention like this business of Aso Ofi. This is not to say that I am not versatile at engineering, but because I have passion for Aso Ofi marketing, though I have acquired” little knowledge in it before I went to school. After my graduation, I ventured fully into the business and I am taking it to the higher level”.

Corroborating Taiwo’s claim, Akeem Balogun A. K. A Osama a graduate of University of lbadan who was part of the initiative for celebrating Aso Ofi day said, “with government and private investors involvement in the business, the industry has the potentials of reacting job for thousands of people in the state, “This is one area that has not been given adequate attention and I think the reason is not far fetched from the fading nature of Yoruba culture and tradition.

We think one of the ways through which we can raise the consciousness of the people is engaging in the production and marketing of indigenous fabric which is Aso Ofi, and at the same time reduce the rate of unemployment in our region. I am a graduate, but this is my passion and I am much more interested in it because it is an inborn thing, I was born into it and I live for it for and I am optimistic there is future in it”.

Senator Abiola Ajimobi the executive governor of Oyo State who was represented by his wife, Mrs Florence Ajimobi in his remark said that identifying and developing our local produce as well as tourism potentials would be one of the most effective means of growing the economy, adding that, attracting tourists would eventually translate into investments.

According to him, “Tourism is one of the most effective means of growing the economy because attracting tourists will eventually translate into investments when the tourists discover the investment opportunities present in their destinations. This becomes more important especially at a period like this when we are grappling with the effects of recession and looking for revenue generators other than crude oil which before now was the mainstay of our economy”.

Ajimobi said-that the effective and efficient use of ‘Aso Ofi’ is a cultural-tourism potential which should be used to develop the economy of the state and develop Iseyin  town as a whole and Oyo State in general.

The Governor also acknowledged that the traditional Aso Ofi has attained a status of both national and international importance and is widely accepted as the fabric of choice for traditional occasions and other social events.

“Oyo State, the Pacesetter State; the land of many firsts has a huge number of tourist attractions that can translate into tremendous wealth and the government will harness all to grow our economy and develop the state. Quite noteworthy amongst-them is the traditional Aso Ofi Industry located in Iseyin Local Government Area. Aso Ofi is a versatile, multifarious woven fabric design that has attained a status of both national and international importance and is widely accepted as the fabric of choice for traditional occasions as well as a huge majority of social events”, he explained.

In his speech, the State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun noted that the ‘Aso Ofi Day’ became imperative, because the state government found it needful to harness tourism potentials in every local government in the state, stressing that, this would not only promote the rich culture of the state, but also promote the tourism potentials in the state.

He further declared the Senator Ajimobi led administration’s determination to promote Iseyin’s rich cultural heritage, by establishing an International Aso Ofi Market in Iseyin and create an internet platform to market the fabric to the international community.

In his address, the Aseyin of Iseyin Land, Oba AbdulGaniyu Adekunle, Ologunebii, appealed to the state government not to relent in its efforts at resuscitating the dying

Aso Ofi industry, noting that, it is an age-long fabric which has long been neglected by past administrations in the state.

He solicited that the government should equip the local government with more weaving centres and an international Aso Ofi market in the council for better patronage. “I urge the state government to enact a law recommending periodic use of Aso Ofi by public students in the state, as uniforms. This will revive the cultural values of the Yorubas and promote our culture in the state,” Oba Adekunle added.

In his recommendations, Professor Dele Olayiwola, the guest lecturer at the maiden edition of the Aso Ofi Day Celebration enjoined government to help in creating a modernised weaver’s loom which could be automated rather than the manual technology, which he described as laborious.

Professor Olayiwola, the Director, Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, said, “Nigerians should research and produce our own dyes locally instead of depleting the hard-earned and meagre foreign exchange on imported dyes which service other people’s economies and impoverish us.”

Multi-talented Fuji musician, Taiwo Adebisi popularly known as Taye Currency thrilled the audience with his Alujo and philosophical lyrics.