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Paper short abstract:

This presentation identifies sensuous experiences and actors involved in Whatsapp-mediated ankara trading. Nigerian adaptability to the app mitigates overwhelming market experiences and encourages ankara circulation as sellers and customers may interact instantly in Nigeria and abroad.

Paper long abstract:

The Balogun Market in Lagos, Nigeria, is one of the leading markets for ankara - manufactured fabrics based on the Javanese batiks produced by European and Chinese companies marketed to West Africa. Nigeria has adopted and popularized this fabric and its derived styles, reflecting its cultural significance in the Black Diaspora. Ankara is handled by several actors establishing a complex trade matrix. Observation in various trading places and qualitative interviews revealed that ankara shopping experience is ambivalent. Perception of the market as a source of inspiration that unlocks creative possibilities coexist with contempt for its hectic environment, which might be stressful, time-consuming, or dangerous. This paper identifies sensuous and social experiences of actors involved in ankara trading, which are mediated by the use of media technologies, namely WhatsApp. Furthermore, it reveals its role in the further dissemination and circulation of ankara. The advance of WhatsApp use in Nigeria circumvents those obstacles, resulting in a distinctive trading experience. By integrating other technologies, such as instant bank transfers, Whatsapp adequately addresses challenges of developing countries. E-trading mitigates some downsides of ankara trading in physical markets and helps find and maintain new customers. It speeds the prints' selection process and increases the circulation of ankara fabrics and clothes even to areas situated far beyond the country. The study highlights the resilience and inventiveness of the Nigerian fashion market, overcoming financial and structural hardship through fabric trade and fostering the app functionalities beyond their original affordance.