BASKET WEAVING IN NIGERIA

Craft and Arts are the core aspects of any culture. The mastery in any craft shows experience the artisan has acquired over time.
From time immemorial, craftwork has been a source of revenue for many Nigerians and this has encouraged archaeologists to explore more about the ancient Nigerian arts and crafts. Traditional arts are practiced in towns and villages while most of the works of art designed by craftspeople from across the country are sold in major urban markets.

Basket weaving (also known as basketry or basket making) is the process of weaving elastic materials like cane, palm frond, rubber, and metal wires among others into a basket (a container made of interwoven strips of cane or wire for holding or carrying things). To this effect, basket can be made from any material that is flexible or weak provided the material could be bent at ease.

Apart from round baskets, there are oval and horizontal types, in some cases, the weaver will fill in the sides of the basket while some parts of the baskets, become the base, the sidewalls and rim respectively.
A basket may also have a lid or handle depending on its usage.
Baskets come in various sizes and achieve several functions. Baskets are useful objects, therefore in one’s everyday life, one finds oneself making use of these different types of basket for one’s daily needs. It is one of the world crafts that have remained aesthetically and functionally acceptable in the modern world despite technologically manufactured products.
People specialized in making baskets are known as basket makers and basket weavers.
Baskets are relatively cheap, affordable and readily available. Anybody in the society can purchase and own one.

Materials
There are many types of natural fibers that can be used to weave a basket, for example, raffia from palm fronds, elephant grass are all commonly used materials for weaving. When choosing a suitable material for basketry, the flexibility of the fibers is the most important aspect.
The materials are also cheap and many of them can be gotten free. Moreover, it is highly patronized in the northern part of Nigeria.
Basic Process
The basic process of basket making involves carefully weaving strands of fiber over and under each other to create a round shape. A simple loop basket starts out as a thick piece of fiber that is shaped into a basic loop while a thinner, stretchy fiber is woven around it.

Although there is a general decline in traditional craft, there are still a few craftsmen operating in Nigeria who have refused to give up on traditional craft. Most of these traditional works has remained unchanged, except that in modern time, its quality may have gone down due to technology.
Baskets are called kwanduna in Hausa, agbon in Yoruba, nkata in Anambra State, ekete in Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu State and ide in Umuahia.
Basketry is one of the oldest craft we know today, however its origin is unknown and cannot be traced, but it is claimed to be as old as the igbo race.
It has transcended many generations, it is said that the oldest known basket dates as far back as 10,000 and 12,000 years old in Fauyin. In the Middle East, other baskets were later discovered 7000 years ago.

Basket making in sokoto
Basket weaving is a traditional art in Sokoto, which is passed from one generation to the other; People in Shuni, Dange-Shuni local government area of Sokoto are renowned for basket making.
For decades, the people have broadened the art of making baskets and it has remained a handy skill for the people and a significant source of income for a good number of them.
The Hausa weaving techniques are a bit different from the Yoruba’s.

Basket making in Badagry
There are just so many historical facts associated with a cultural town called Badagry in Nigeria, in the beautiful coastal area of Badagry where nearly everyone people in the community are fishermen, some of the mid-aged women are traditional weavers.
Because of the existence of abundant palm trees, basket weaving are principal crafts among Egun women and children, these baskets are produced for sale to neighboring settlements and international markets.

Basket weaving is not just peculiar to the North but also familiar in the South West Nigeria..
The craftsmen and women of Ikot Ekpene, Warri and Maiduguri produce beautifully designed baskets. Other areas that produce distinctive mats are Nupe land as well as the waterside areas of Ijebu-Ode.
The fibre and raffia weavers of Ikot Ekpene and Calabar have made significant improvement from their old methods of weaving to modern techniques of production, which has in turn paved way for more patronage from local and international market.