SEMIOTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF YORUBA CLOTHING AND ITS FUNCTIONAL ROLES IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigates the semiotic significance of Yoruba clothing and its functional roles in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Existing studies on African material culture suggest that clothing serves as a symbolic system that communicates identity, status, and cultural values, which motivates the need to examine its meanings within the Ekiti context. A descriptive survey research design is adopted. The population comprises all adults in Ekiti State, estimated at about 3.5 million. The sample consists of 100 respondents selected through a multistage sampling procedure involving purposive selection of five Local Government Areas followed by random sampling of respondents. Age is categorized into youth (18–35 years), middle-aged adults (36–55 years), and older adults (56 years and above) to capture variations in cultural interpretation of attire. Data are collected using the Semiotics of Yoruba Clothing Questionnaire (SYCQ), which is validated and yields a reliability coefficient of 0.82. Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, means, and percentages are used to answer research questions, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) is used to test hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings reveal that clothing types, styles, fabrics, and accessories such as fila cap significantly influence the expression of identity and belonging among Yoruba people. The results further indicate that Yoruba clothing communicates collective values such as solidarity, hierarchy, and morality within social and cultural contexts. The study concludes that Yoruba attire functions not merely as fashion but as a communicative code through which cultural identity and values are sustained. The study recommends preservation through cultural education, integration with modern fashion trends for sustainability, and inclusive practice to prevent class-based exclusion in communal activities such as aso-ebi.