Beauty in the world of cane

Beyond the marks it leaves on the behinds of recalcitrant young ones, cane is being used to churn out furniture that beautify homes and offices, writes Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare.

The word, cane, is one no child likes to hear. It spells doom for the errant child and is an instrument of threat to the younger generation by older people. Children of all ages, from toddlers to teens, hate it with passion and will do almost anything to avoid the punishing strokes of the cane. Also in the distant past, cane was used essentially to weave baskets and nothing more.

But in recent times, cane has become a valuable object of beauty; it has evolved into something more useful than being an agent of punishment. Its products have also gone beyond the farm baskets into the realm of beautiful home and office furniture. Cane furniture making has become a popular occupation.

When cane furniture first evolved, it was not widely accepted. In fact, it was used mainly in the reception areas of organizations. A research carried out in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital by the Forestry Association of Nigeria reveals that the use of canes in homes, then, was a rare occurrence. Rather, only organisations, both government and privately-owned companies used it. The result of the report based on random sampling indicates that, the use of cane furniture in companies is 46.67 per cent, 16.67 per cent in government organisations and 36.67 per cent among individuals, giving an overall value of 63.34 per cent in organisations to the 36.67 per cent recorded for home use. Today however, cane furniture can now be found both in the home of the rich and the poor.

Cane products’ producers have since improved on in its usage and the once reviled object of punishment has gone beyond hamper and picnic baskets to be used in the production of furniture like sitting room chairs, dining sets, stools, centre tables, book shelf, shoe rack, recreation furniture, laundry basket, hanging mirror, electronics stand, kitchen utensils rack, dressing table, baby cot and toilet and bathroom screens.

Mrs. Modupe Adelaja, SMEDAN DG

Cane furniture is now a perfect combination of style and versatility with matt or gloss finish which makes it strong and durable. Designs incorporate deep filled cushions with wonderful fabrics which not only give comfort but provide a high performance surface that is tough, easy to clean and offer a good compleiment to home and office setting.

Nigeria has four cane villages all located in Lagos state and they serve as the major source of finished products for the ever-increasing cane furniture market including showrooms that sell other furniture products. However, there are other cane furniture makers in other cities across the country. The Anang people of Akwa Ibom state in southern Nigeria are noted for their cane furniture and basket handicrafts. At Bodija in the ancient city of Ibadan, Oyo state, one would find a mini cane village where some artisans converge to do their work.

The four cane villages are in Maryland, Victoria Island, Alapere and Ajina. These four villages house over 30 cane furniture makers and their apprentices. The most popular of these cane villages is the one located at Maryland due to the prime location and the exotic nature of its products. Each work space, where majority of the work is done and tools are kept, is an open space with spartan shades under a fly-over and scattered over an area of about 200 square meters. At the cane village, a breed of bamboo is processed and shaped through several means like spinning, weaving, stripping and others into several articles of furniture. This is done manually by artisans and thus the typical production takes an average of three weeks if all other factors work well.

Most of the furniture makers at the cane village have little or no formal education but what they lack in academics they make up with native intelligence and street wisdom.

In many homes today, the furniture is a celebration of beauty found in the world of cane while in many showrooms across Nigeria; there is a colourful display of cane furniture in different eye-catching designs. The cane village especially is a fertile ground for competition, many of the cane furniture makers jostle to out-do one another with designs and some even post apprentices on the road to attract customers.

Some cane workers even serve as middle men for others. They would attend to customers and negotiate prices before calling the person that would do the job. Most of these middlemen are also trained cane workers who could not set out on their own due to different factors.

Femi Adeoti is a young bank executive who just got married over a year ago. A visit to his house reveals that he is a big time lover of cane products. Virtually every furniture in his house is made of cane; it is an extensive selection of lounge, dining and sitting room furniture. His living room is filled with various pieces of cane products. What attraction does cane have for him? Adeoti told Midweek Tribune that “I do not see myself using any furniture that is not cane. I love cane because it is simple, light but very beautiful. It also makes any room where it is displayed cozy and homely. The added incentive is that the price is moderate and affordable.”

A woman who identified herself as Iyabode Adeola told Midweek Tribune that price influenced her decision to go for cane products. “I went to the cane village at Maryland while I was pregnant to buy a Moses basket for my baby since I could not afford to buy a pram at N12, 000. It was while there that I priced a living room set and was told to pay N35, 000. I quickly went home to tell my husband since a furniture maker already gave us a bill of N70,000. This was how I came about cane furniture and I have never regretted it because it is so strong and unique,” she said.

There are many reasons for the recent take-over of cane in the furniture market. Adaeze Obi, a marketer attributed the renewed interest in cane furniture on the ban on foreign furniture products years back. “People had to look for a local alternative that would suit their purpose and for many people like myself, it was the cane furniture. It’s not a bad bargain however, because I have not had any bad experience since I started using it and if I need anything in the way of furniture now, I will still go for cane to complement the ones I already have,” she explained.

Cane furniture seems to be the rave in the Nigerian furniture industry now. It is making waves in a way that shows a great future for the Nigerian cane furniture market. The products are also strong, durable and affordable. It is high time one enjoyed the beauty in the world of cane.