ASSESSMENT OF THE PERFORMANCE OF COTTAGE TEXTILE DYEING INDUSTRY IN SELECTED CITIES IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA.

Abstract

Cottage industry is very important to any economy. Production at cottage level cuts across many creative sectors such as blacksmithing, goldsmithing, pottery and textile production such as adire and weaving, among others. Adire and Aso-oke are the traditional textile cottage products peculiar to the Yoruba people of Southwestern Nigeria. Textile dyeing at cottage level plays a significant role in the area of fashionable garments and decorative attires with traditional roots within Nigerian populace, which helps to promote culture and tradition. This study focuses on the assessment of the performance of cottage textile dyeing industries in selected cities in Southwestern Nigeria and highlights the factors influencing the level of production and patronage in the selected cities. The study adopts survey research design to address the objectives of the research using questionnaire as the data collection tool. Data were collected from two population categories namely: fabric dyers and consumers of dyed fabrics in the study area. One hundred and seventy-three (173) copies of questionnaire were administered to textile dyers in the study area, one hundred and fifty-nine (159), representing 92% of the administered questionnaires were returned and used for analysis while three hundred and eighty-four (384) copies were administered to the users of dyed fabrics in the study area and three hundred and eighty (380) representing 99% were returned and analyzed. Data collected for this research were subjected to descriptive, budgetary and relative index analysis using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The result from the study revealed that cottage textile dyeing is highly profitable in Osogbo and Abeokuta while the level of production and patronage in Akure and Ado-Ekiti is very low. The study revealed that the benefits inherent in cottage textile dyeing can be fully harnessed in Southwestern Nigeria if the numerous challenges such as paucity of fund and high cost of raw materials are addressed by the government and other relevant stakeholders. This study will be helpful for the growth, development and the maximization of the potentials of cottage textile dyeing in Southwestern Nigeria.