Rimin Gado women cap-makers redefining entrepreneurship

Wednesdays are typical market days in Rimin Gado Local Government Area of Kano State, a community characterised by several business activities but mostly known as the state’s cap embroidery knitting hub, where women are redefining entrepreneurship.  Here, the traditional cap worn in many parts of northern Nigeria is conceived and brought to life with intricate […]

Wednesdays are typical market days in Rimin Gado Local Government Area of Kano State, a community characterised by several business activities but mostly known as the state’s cap embroidery knitting hub, where women are redefining entrepreneurship. 

Here, the traditional cap worn in many parts of northern Nigeria is conceived and brought to life with intricate designs and captivating colours that showcase the region’s rich cultural heritage.

On market days, cap merchants like Mahraz Yahya visit the market, loaded with funds, prepared to buy hundreds of caps made by housewives and young ladies. The caps are then transported across the country to places like Katsina, Kaduna, Yobe, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory. Sometimes, they find their way outside Nigeria to neighbouring Niger Republic, Cameroon, and even Algeria and Libya.

At the Rimin Gado market, the cap section is a beehive of activities on market days. Our reporter met a young lady, Sadiqa Hassan Abdullahi Zango, with a gleeful smile. She had just sold a few caps at the rate of N2,500 each.

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 But the journey of these colourful caps, made from soft fabrics and thread, carries the story of the housewives of Rimin Gado, who spend hours pouring their passion and dedication into a craft that has transcended many generations.

 As an agrarian society located about 20 kilometres away from Kano metropolis, Rimin Gado serves as home to several markets. But the community’s uniqueness lies in its women cap makers—a tradition many describe as ancient but now gaining visibility.

 Historically, residents say cap-embroidery has been a game changer for many women, attracting merchants who buy the carefully embroidered caps and transporting them to other places.

 A visit to the community reveals the industriousness of the women. Almost every housewife and maiden encountered was involved in the chain. This reporter gathered that the women have, over the years, developed themselves into self-made entrepreneurs, gaining a source of livelihood to support their families or lifestyle.

 Karimatu Usman is a housewife and a mother who has been in the business for over 20 years. She relies on cap-knitting to meet her daily financial needs and support her immediate family.

 In her mud house, located off the main road of Rimin Gado, Karimatu and other women spread mats at the entrance of the compound and make caps for hours. designing and chatting have become a pastime and financially rewarding.

 “I have nothing to say other than to express how happy I am with the cap  business. It helps me a lot,” she said with a smile. “We make to sell, and the proceeds are used to support ourselves and our families,” she added.

 It takes Karimatu about two weeks to complete a cap. The caps are then taken to the market and sold for between N3,500 and N5,000 depending on how sophisticated the design is or how luxurious the thread is. “It gives me a lot of relief because I hardly depend on anyone for financial support. We thank God for the business,” she said.

 Rakiya Haladu, a widower and mother of 10, has been in the business for a much longer time than Karima. Three decades have gone by since she delved into cap making and it has become a lifeline.

 The two women are among several others in the community who have found financial security from the art of designing and making caps. “I rely on the business to support my 10 children since the death of my late husband. I can complete a cap within 10 days, depending on the type of thread used and the design. I can sell a cap for between N5,000 and N15,000 to cap merchants,” she said.

 This ancient cultural enterprise, sewn into the fabrics of Rimin Gado by the women, has existed for decades, says 67-year-old Malam Bello Abdu, a resident of the community who said the business faced a little decline in the past but was now gaining ground.

 “It is one of the things our women can engage in with little capital and it requires no electricity and no fuel. That way, everyone can get involved and the proceeds can guarantee them capital to produce more,” he said.

 This reporter also encountered Aisha Sani actively engaged in her embroidery. She explained that many women are attracted to the business because it gives them quick money and is easy to learn. According to her, most women in the community are housewives, and the business provides them an opportunity to earn a living without stepping outside their homes.

 “Instead of remaining idle at home, most of the women have embraced cap making to financially empower themselves,” she said. Narrating her encounter with cap embroidery, Aisha Sani said, like many of her peers, she mastered the skill at an early age, just after completing her primary education. She now passes it down to the next generation.

 “Within two weeks, one can get between N15,000 and N20,000 or even higher depending on the type of cap from this business,” she said, while buttressing why many women, young and old, find it the easiest means of financial security.

 Khadija Abdulsalam, a trained community health extension worker (CHEW) serving in one of the health facilities of Rimin Gado, said proceeds from cap embroidery helped to sponsor her education and to achieve her dream of working in the health sector. 

 “During my wedding, the financial burden was not so overwhelming for me and my parents because I was able to save money from the business.” Though working as an extension worker, she says the skill never left her, as she still make caps on the side to earn extra money. “I do it during my free hours only that it now takes me a longer period to complete one cap,” she said.

 Weekend Trust gathered that the business chain often starts with the women sourcing raw materials which include fabrics, threads, and cotton wool from the local market. Traders of these materials source their stocks from the Kurmi market in Kano. The process then moves to designing the patterns using a pencil or pen on the fabric. The design, this reporter gathered, can be a random artistic expression or just symbols. In some cases, alphabets that symbolise initials or other expressions are used.

 Next is embroidery with different colours of thread around the already-designed pattern. This process is slow and often delicate, which takes as much as 10 to 14 days, depending on how committed the designer is. The body of the cap and the top are then stitched together, making a complete cap, ready for sale.

 When completed, the caps are then taken to the market for sale. In some cases, the women show them off at tailoring shops in an attempt to encourage clients to match their sewn fabrics with newly made caps. Such tailoring shops, like the one owned by Muhammad Mai Diwani, are often used as collection centres for the cap business.

Diwani’s shop, which is located close to Karimatu’s home, provides an easy client base for her and other cap makers.

 “I come from Katsina State on market days to buy caps,” said Mahraz Yahya, a merchant who says he transports the finished goods to Bauchi, Yobe, Adamawa and other states for sale. “I buy caps worth N900,000 or more on average. Traders from the Republic of Niger, Cameron and even Algeria and Libya do buy caps from us,” Yahya said.

 Adamu Isa comes from Malumfashi in Katsina State to buy caps of different designs and sizes. He says he buys a minimum of 5000 pieces, which he transports to Niger State to sell.