The Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST) has unveiled plans to establish mini tanneries in every Nigerian state to boost local processing of hides and skins into leather.
Mohammed Yakubu, the Director-General of NILEST and chairman of the national leather policy implementation committee, emphasized the move as a key step in rebuilding Nigeria’s leather industry infrastructure and technology.
“Nigeria is not unknown in the area of leather products. We used to have 84 leather industries, with some even having branches in Italy and Spain,” Yakubu said.
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He added that Nigeria’s leather industry was once recognized internationally but collapsed due to poor infrastructure.
He noted that reviving the industry would require concessions from the federal government, specifically in affordable power, which accounts for over 50% of production costs.
Yakubu argued that Nigeria’s leather industry could compete globally if power supply issues are resolved. “For Nigeria to compete with China, Brazil, or India in leather industries, there must be a cheap and regular power supply,” he said. “We must provide cheap power to our industries, particularly the leather industries.”
The NILEST initiative also aims to address the widespread consumption of animal hides, known locally as ‘ponmo.’ Yakubu explained that the limited processing capacity means many Nigerians eat ponmo because the surplus hides cannot all be processed into leather.
“We are eating the hides and skins as ponmo because if we don’t, the available industries cannot mop up all the hides and skins produced in Nigeria,” he noted, adding that Lagos State alone slaughters approximately 100,000 cows daily, while only 48 industries exist to handle these hides.
As part of a broader campaign to discourage ponmo consumption, Yakubu announced that the mini tanneries would handle between one to five tonnes of hides and skins per week, transforming them into leather for export and local products.
Yakubu concluded by urging the government to prioritize affordable power for the sector, explaining, “What’s important is to employ our teeming youths and attract foreign exchange. Whatever concession is given to the industries will never be a waste.”