THE Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST), Zaria, Kaduna State, says the institute will establish mini tanneries in all states of the country to process hides and skin into leather.
Its Director-General, Prof. Mohammed Yakubu, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja. Yakubu, who is also the Chairman of the Implementation Committee of the National Leather Policy, said this was necessary in order to provide the right infrastructure and technology for proper processing of leather.
According to him, leather is a huge national resource with potential of generating foreign exchange and massive employment. “Nigeria is not unknown in the area of leather products. We used to have 84 leather industries and some even have branches in Italy and Spain.
“The Nigerian leather industry had branches in Europe. We want that to come back.” He said that the leather industry collapsed due to poor infrastructure, as such the institute and the policy implementation committee would continue to press the Federal Government to make concessions, especially in providing cheap power, to enable the industries to bounce back.
“Before independence and even during the first and second World War, the hides and skin for the footwear of British soldiers was sourced from Nigeria. ”Also, during the trans-saharan trade, traders used to come to Sokoto and Kano to get hides and skin, take it to Morocco and process it, and call it Moroccan leather, but it is actually Sokoto red goat leather,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria is not unknown in the area of leather products because the country had only 84 leather industries with branches in Italy and Spain four decades ago. “It is not the issue of technology because NILEST is providing all the technical requirements for the Nigerian tanneries and Nigerian leather industry to make an impact in the world.
