Leather, the sleeping giant of Nigeria’s economy

The Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST) specialises in manufacturing, processing and production of leather and leather products a claiming it can generate N1.1billion annually.
BINTA SHAMA writes.

Importance of leather The earliest record of leather artifacts dates back to 1300 BC.
Leather work has been from one generation to the other where man has tried improving the way and manner it can be used and fashioned.
In recent times, it has become so trendy, expensive and more appreciated.
With a fine genuine leather stuff, one can use and pass to the next generation.
Leather is a durable and flexible material created by tanning animal rawhides, mostly cattle hide.
It can be produced at manufacturing scales ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.
Leather is used to make various goods, including clothing (especially footwear, hand bag etc.), in bookbinding, and as a furniture covering.
It is produced in a wide variety of types and styles, decorated by a wide range of techniques.
It is in this drive to move the nation forward by diversifying that NILEST has focused on it priority to make the leather department in our economy a more versatile one.
NILEST comprises of various separate departments which all work independently but jointly and yet uniquely towards achieving the primary aim of the institute.
NILEST enrols one into the institute to run a course so as to acquire more knowledge, creates room to attend lectures and seminars, and as well engage in science and leather research to get more enlightened on this field.
FMST and NILEST The Federal Ministry of Science & Technology (FMST), as a mother Ministry to NILEST, has a mission is to facilitate the development and deployment of science and technology to enhance the pace of socio-economic development of the country.
At the EXPO this year organised by FMST, the Director-General of the institute, Dr Eucharia NgoziOparah disclosed at Technology and Innovation Expo that Nigeria has a very huge market for leather products because of its population size.
“Many Nigerians can still afford to own a minimum of three pairs of shoes each and we as an institute have the capacity to supply the country, it is sad to note that Nigeria now serves as a dumping ground for both brand new and fairly used shoes and other leather products from other countries which has led to the closure of some industries like BATA, Anita Shoes, Perfected Shoes and Lernard Shoes Limited, thus affecting the economy of our dear country adversely,” she stressed.
She further said there was need for massive campaign to change the attitude of Nigerians towards homemade leather goods and urging that it would be necessary for the federal government to enforce the ban on second-hand leather products and place high tariffs on imported articles to encourage the present administration achieve the aim of Nigerians consuming ‘our made in Nigeria goods’.
NILESTefforts The Director-General disclosedthat the local Indigenous military boots produced by the institute emerged one of the best globally.
She made the disclosure while receiving participants of the 26 course, National Defence College (NDC) Abuja, during a study tour to the institute in Zaria.
She said in 2016, the Nigerian Army Depot, Zaria awarded the institute with a contract to produce 2,000 pairs of military combat black boots for its 76th Regular Recruits intake and 350 officers’ shoes which was eventually delivered to the extent that the Nigerian Army Officers’ Course ranked the boots as one of the best globally and awarded them another contract for 3,000 pairs of boots same year.
“The 3,000 pairs are for the training of 77th Regular Recruits intake, and I am pleased to tell you that the institute has satisfactorily delivered the goods.
At this juncture, it is my pleasure to inform you that NILEST mission is to provide globally competitive and environmentally friendly technology for leather and leather products and allied industry among others.” According to Oparah, the institute was constrained by the inability to acquire modern technology equipment and machines to facilitate the institute’s production processes, which has forced it to appeal to the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force and other paramilitary outfits to kindly patronise NILEST products to enable it maintain its leading role in Africa.
The leader of the team, Brig-Gen.
Martin Obiora-Enendu, said the college was the apex military training institution in Nigeria and in subSaharan Africa, offering different strategic courses for all officers from the rank of Colonel and its equivalent in the Nigerian Armed Forces, adding that the NDC was established in 1992, then as a National War College in Lagos.
He said some years later, the college was moved to Abuja, precisely in 2005, adding that the name was changed to National Defence College, Nigeria in line with global trend.
The team leader said It was part of their curriculum that after instruction in the college, they go out to the field and try to align instructions with practice, saying that the course was broken into nine blocks across 11 months, adding that the visit was in line with block three and four which dealt with economy, science and technology.
“Your institution has been chosen as a strategic establishment that can avail the participants the opportunity to be able to marry up instructions with practice.
We see you as a cardinal part of the nation’s hub of research and development technology towards attaining national goals and objectives,” Obiora-Enendu said.
According to Oparah, she said the government should put down concrete plans to harness the economic resources of the non-oil sector as an investment opportunity in leather and leather products presenting it to domestic and foreign entrepreneurs to take advantage of and that by so doing will generate foreign exchange, create employments, and wealth especially for youths and women throughout the country.
“Before the discovery of oil, hides and skins ranked fifth on the list of export products that earned Nigeria foreign exchange and revenue and before the advent of mechanized processing of leather in Nigeria, hides and skins have played a vital role in the growth of the economy as a major source of income through exports to Europe and other parts of the world,” she disclosed.
She further explained that “the leather and leather products can be best described as the sleeping giant of Nigerian economy that needs awakening”.

 

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