Northern Nigerian Garments and Caps: Uses and the Challenges for Socio-Cultural Changes.

This paper addresses some issues on the Northern Nigerian traditional garments and caps. We observed that most of the Northern Nigerian garments and caps, particularly those of the Kanuri people, have their origin in the culture and traditions of the people. In very significant ways, the garments and the caps depict the belief systems, political metaphysics, and the general consciousness of the people including their creative impulses. But as more and more people move from rural areas to the cities, travel abroad and as more and more cultures intermingle, inevitable changes catch up with the culture and tradition of the people. We observed that it is hard to find in the Northern Nigeria scene, particularly among the Kanuri people, clothes that have assumed new nomenclature other than garments and caps. We realized that, the culture and tradition of the Kanuri people wearing longer, voluminous and roomy garments preferably with cap have witnessed changes due to the blend with foreign culture. This and many other issues are discussed in this paper. The purpose of this research is to show that inspite of the Kanuri people's strong adherence to their beliefs and culture which hardly encourage any changes, the use of their traditional garments and caps have exhibited the flexibility of their beliefs, culture and traditions. The use of the garments and caps discussed in this paper are those observed among the Kanuri people of Northern Nigeria.