Nigeria

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First all-women cohort of winners hails from Colombia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, the UK and the US.

What is really happening in northern Nigeria

There is no US-led conspiracy or a ‘Christian genocide’. There is an insurgency that has adapted.

Slavery reparations are just, but who exactly owes whom?

Some African elites benefited from slave trade and colonisation. This must be taken into account in reparation debates.

World Athletics blocks 11 athlete transfer requests to Turkiye

Athletes from Kenya, Nigeria and Jamaica have applications rejected for ‘recruitment drive’ by Turkiye government.

Nigerian artisans preserve handwoven fabric amid rising global demand

Kafat Abdulhakem loops a bundle of thread used in making aso-oke, a handwoven fabric indigenous to the Yoruba ethnic group, in her home workshop in Iseyin, Nigeria. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]

Waliu Fransisco separates tangled thread used for aso-oke, a handwoven fabric indigenous to the Yoruba ethnic group. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]

While many weavers in Iseyin are middle-aged men, younger artisans like Fransisco are joining the trade, introducing fresh ideas and skills. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]

Some collaborate with graphic artists to develop innovative designs. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]

A man dips thread into a starch gel to bind and strengthen fabric while making aso-oke. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]

Despite increasing demand, the craft remains rooted in traditional methods. Attempts to mechanise production have been limited or unsuccessful. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]

"If you use a machine to weave aso-oke, it won't come out as nice as if it was handwoven," explains Kareem Adeola while working on a yellow-and-olive piece. "People have tried it before, and it did not work. It is meant by God to be handwoven." [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]

Adhering to traditional weaving techniques causes physical strain and health risks from prolonged sitting, but weavers insist this painstaking process defines the fabric's authenticity. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]

Once worn exclusively by Nigeria's wealthy and ruling class for special occasions, aso-oke now appears in designer studios across major cities, on London and Paris runways, and transformed into shoes, bags, and purses. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]

"It is no longer reserved for special occasions," notes Isiaq Yahaya, a 45-year-old mathematician. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]

Kareem Adeola creates aso-oke at a weaving workshop in Iseyin. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]

"There is nothing wrong with your culture being worn by other people," says Ayomitide Okungbaye, the 31-year-old creative director of Lagos-based Tide Chen, who has exhibited aso-oke designs in London. "Where we start to have a problem is when there's misappropriation or people start to claim ownership." [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]

Designers acknowledge that aso-oke's growing international exposure has elevated it to global status but also raised concerns about cultural ownership. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]