The Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST) has said plans are underway to establish mini tanneries or factories in all states of the country to process hides and skin into leather.

NILEST Director-General, Mohammed Yakubu, who is also the chairman of the implementation committee of the national leather policy, in a chat with NAN yesterday in Abuja, said more tanneries are necessary to provide the right infrastructure and technology for the proper processing of leather.

Yakubu also said the establishment of the mini tanneries would reduce consumption of hides and skin in the country, which was being done largely because the number of industries cannot mop up the excess products generated every day. Animal skin is locally known as ?ponmo?.

?We are eating the hides and skin as ponmo because if we don?t eat it, the available industries cannot mop all the hides and skin produced,? adding that leather is a huge national resource with the potential to generate 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,? Yakubu said.

?The Nigerian leather industry had branches in Europe. We want that to come back.?

According to the DG, 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 industries to bounce back.

He said that for Nigeria to compete with China, Brazil or India in leather industries, there must be a cheap and regular supply. (The Guardian)