Nigeria Eyes $6b from Global Leather Market

• Nigeria Eyes $6b from Global Leather Market

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), said it is working hard to earn $6billion from the $60billion global leather market.

For it to achieve this, it has set up a training programme in three tranches for the youths interested in leather work.

The training will focus on learning how to make different exportable products from leather so that the country will not continue to be consumers of finished products.

Its Managing Director /Chief Executive Officer, Segun Awolowo, who spoke at the three-day special pre-qualifying leather works exhibition held by the trainees at it’s office in Lagos, said the skills gap noticeable in the sector led to the capacity training in leather products production and exportation.

The regional coordinator, NEPC, Mr Babatunde Faleke said it is the maiden edition of the training, adding that the trainees were taught how to design, produce and also tap into the export market with their products.

He said the amount expended in bringing 90 Nigerians – 30 per tranche- ,three different times to Ibadan for the two weeks intensive training cannot be ascertained, adding however that its benefits to the nation cannot be over-emphasised.

Faleke said with the exposure and training, he was certain that low skills gap has been bridged and the country will soon start to get the benefits.

The trainer and mentor of the trainees, Mrs Femi Olayemi said aside how to design,the trainees were exposed to need for quality over quantity, how to brand their goods and also to understand how the business is run.

Olayemi said the focus should be on how to dominate the local market before looking into exportation.

Senior Special Assistant on Wealth Creation to Lagos state governor, Temiwumi Tope-Banjoko said with the quality of products exhibited by the trainees,she is sure that the non-oil sector of the economy will witness a boom.