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Leather Institute to Set Up Tanneries Across Nigeria

Published by Tope Fakinlede on November 11th, 2024.

Leather Institute to Set Up Tanneries Across Nigeria

The Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST) has announced plans to establish mini tanneries across all 36 states in Nigeria. This initiative is aimed at transforming hides and skins into high-quality leather, bolstering the country’s leather industry, and creating jobs.

Prof. Mohammed Yakubu, Director-General of NILEST, shared the vision on Sunday in Abuja, stating that the mini tanneries would introduce modern technology to improve leather processing efficiency. The project is part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s leather sector and maximize its potential as a valuable economic resource.

Yakubu, who also leads the National Leather Policy Implementation Committee, emphasized that leather holds immense potential for generating foreign exchange and creating significant employment opportunities. He noted that the underutilization of hides and skins, often diverted to the food market as “Kpomo,” has hindered the growth of the industry. He explained that due to the limited number of operational tanneries, much of Nigeria’s leather resources remain untapped.

“We consume hides and skins as ‘Kpomo’ because current tannery capacity is insufficient to process the vast quantities produced in Nigeria,” Yakubu stated. “In Lagos alone, approximately 100,000 cows are slaughtered daily, yet only 48 tanneries exist to process these hides into leather products.”

To address this gap, Yakubu outlined plans for the mini tanneries, which will absorb the excess hides and skins and produce leather products for both domestic and international markets. The mini tanneries are expected to process between one and five tonnes of leather each week, with various regional clusters focusing on manufacturing leather products locally.

NILEST also plans to distribute unprocessed leather to regions such as the South East, South West, Jos, and Kano, in addition to processing leather for export.

Experts have highlighted the significant economic potential of Nigeria’s leather industry, with studies indicating its annual export value could exceed $1 billion. Yakubu also stressed the importance of improving Nigeria’s power supply to remain competitive with global leather-exporting countries like China, Brazil, and India. He urged the Federal Government to focus on providing affordable and reliable power to boost the sector’s competitiveness.

“As we continue to promote this initiative, we are advocating for essential support, especially in areas like power, to help the leather industry thrive,” Yakubu concluded.