Nneka Nwaneri writes on the dwindling fortunes of tailors in the face of completion from second hand clothes
THE Nigerian textile industry is facing a major setback. There is a major crisis over patronage of second hand clothes.
In the past, second hand clothes were a major means by which an average Nigerian could address his clothing needs. Cheap, affordable and good quality based on grade. Once they are washed, starched and ironed, no one could ever tell that such clothes when worn are not new.
Apart from the fact that it met people’s clothing needs, it also served as a means of livelihood for local tailors. Those who bought these second-hand clothes, otherwise known as tokunbo that were not their sizes would have to shape them to their sizes.
There was once a time when the sale of tokunbo brand clothes provided a vibrant market which anyone with the right kinds of good and at a cheaper price was always swift with sales.
Whatever the colours and sizes, they were acceptable and cheap to afford. Thus, it created a viable market for both the traders who make a living out of it and those who mend the clothes to fit the wearers.
Those were two businesses that always thrived until china branded clothes dominated the Nigerian market. It was double chaos for both those who sold the clothes and those who repaired it for the end users. It came like a boom. Tailors are lamenting and traders have been forced out of the market. Many had to leave for their villages.
It served as a regular source of income from that but now; there is a major threat today for both the tailors and the sales personnel of okirika clothes. More people are patronising imported clothes from China.
They come very colourful and at very low prices with the latest trends and fashion as it breaks.
The question now is why Nigerians are the migrating from the second hand clothes to the Chinese imports.
China made clothes is very cheap, affordable and clean. Though the standard of the fabric might not be as high a quality as that of the tokunbo clothes, they are new and more also trendy with the latest in fashion.
They capture the latest fashion trend and people buy them to identify with others without having to deal with the psychological bias of second handed clothes. For them, they are wearing new clothes and that is the major attraction.
It is now almost leading to the collapse of the business, leaving tailors a hard time because they are losing the income it generates for them.
In the Lagos metropolis, the street tailoring business, is now dominated by northerners who migrated to the South-western states in search of greener pastures.
Whereas, other men from the Eastern part of the country and Ghanaians, who were called Obioma then, had sooner than later taken to other means of survival such as Keke Maruwa and okada business. Others who could not cope with the terrain simply left for their native homes and countries.
The Nation caught up with one of the early Igbo tailors who have refused to leave the business of sewing. Mr. David Okoro has been in the profession for over thirty years. Since no one beckons on him for patronage, he devised a means of announcing his presence in the neighbourhood. His chants arouse the attention of the community as well as the curiosity of children who are outside playing after school hours.
His job: to amend clothes and cut others to the individual’s size, making small and big clothes wearable. He began the business after he came into Lagos city in search of greener pastures. Tailoring was the first business he was introduced to, and has over the years picked interest in it as a means of livelihood.
“I have been managing it and it has been helping me. It is with sewing that i have built my house, married and trained my children. I even used it to help my brothers and sisters in need. “
Okoro, whose children will soon be through with secondary school education added that he has found it difficult to change the business as age is no longer on his side. He has since then not found it easy to do other jobs for fear of not succeeding in it. There were some others who began the sewing business with him but along the line were lucky you go into the okada business were lucky to see those who gave them bikes to manage and bring back returns.
Making ends meet
For him, the job seems menial but fetches him enough to cater for his wife and five children. Though happy with the trend and changes that have been associated with new things, he is not happy that the heavy iron machines he and others carry about are not water friendly and are limited to working more during the dry season.
“Most times during the rainy season, we have to stay indoors to preserve the machine. During the dry season, we are beaten by the scorching sun. This machine is heavy to carry about. It is iron but as a child of God, I come out each morning and pray, I ask God to give me just enough to feed my family and that he has always done by giving me a distinct handiwork,” he noted.
Explaining how he has been able to use slogans effectively to announce his presence, he told The Nation of how his customers in his catchment areas know he has arrived there. His remix of the chorus of the song by Baba Frayo E Go Dey Pose, announces he presence in one area.
He is known for different slogans for different streets. In other communities, he is named Hello; Ebeano, which was coined from the akpoche cloth that reigned sometime ago while others call him Baba Iyabo, the Yoruba translation for his daughter’s name which is called Ezinne in the Igbo Language.
As a daily routine, his struggle begins from 9am till 5pm after which he goes to church. Okoro is neither intimidated by the number of northern tailors that patrol the streets on a daily basis. He described them as people who are just fortunate to come to the city, but have no training or experience in tailoring.
“They don’t know half what I know in the tailoring business. Having done this for thirty years, they don’t affect me because my work is distinct from theirs. I shape clothes to fit individuals and add materials to clothes to make them comfortable to wear. Whatever amendment it is, I calm down and do it well so it is befitting to the owner. Even when they charge N30 per cloth, I charge N100 because I know the kind of value I can give to the owners of the cloth. There is always a difference in the two jobs. Afterall, they neither pay house rents, electricity bills nor cater for a family.”
Okoro’s work gives him joy and his being able to accommodate all manners of people has endeared them to look forward to seeing him again.
For him, Okirika clothes are made of original stuff that lasts, because it does not fade.
“There are some original tokunbo that is better than new clothes. As for me, I prefer the tokunbo to all these new clothes hanging about the town.”
For Miss Chizoba Ozowara, a teacher in one of the primary schools around, none is preferable as they are almost one and the same thing. Because of the common nature of China clothes, she stands at a fix when The Nation engaged her to know her view.
“China clothes are too rampant, everybody is wearing same kind of clothes. No matter how many new ones you buy, you will still see someone who is wearing same thing as you do, even pepper sellers and I hate such. Just for that reason, I would rather go for a second new, the ones we call first grade or I go for a brand new one that costs between N10, 000-N15, 000. It seems expensive but I don’t mind so far I wear it and in the whole world we are only about 10 of us that have it.”
