Nigeria’s Leather Industry Could Generate N23bn, Create 700,000 Jobs, Says Idi Maiha

The federal government has estimated that the leather industry in the country can generate N23 billion and create 700,000 jobs if its potential is properly harnessed.

Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha asserted this on Thursday at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria’s Annual Lecture with the theme: “Food Security in Nigeria, Which Way Forward”.

The event was attended by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi; the Emir of Zazzau, Ahmed Bamalli; the Emir of Wase in Plateau State, Alhaji Muhammadu Haruna among other dignitaries. Vice President, Kasim Shettima was the special guest of honour.

Maiha noted that the leather industry is a part of the livestock industry value chain that was hidden for 64 years, until the administration came on board and created the Livestock Ministry.

“Nigeria is indeed endowed with a lot of land resources, land and water resources that can support livestock production for both local consumption and export. If the value chains in the livestock sector, looking at cattle, beef, dairy, piggery, rafting, poultry, fishery, goat and sheep are all harnessed, including leather, by our estimation, the leather industry can employ almost 700,000 jobs. It is worth almost N23 billion. And yet, these value chains were hidden until this administration came on board.

“If these are properly harnessed, they will provide employment opportunities, essential jobs, address food insecurity, and poverty reduction. Beyond national self-sufficiency, there is a huge export potential today for livestock as well as export of livestock products.

“We are talking of beef, dairy products, hides and skin, bones, horns, hooves, pie, as well as opportunities for organic fertilizers. Distribution needs are also getting better,” Maiha said.

The minister lamented that the 150 million cattle in the country were performing sub-optimally, saying the average Nigerian cow will only produce 1.1 litres of milk.

“On my farm, in the place that I observe, I produce 25 cows. And there are opportunities for them doing much more than that. The intention of the ministry is to inject fewer genetics in our livestock and to make sure that productivity is much higher than the average on a global scale.

“It is the intention of the ministry and part of our mandate to abandon the livestock sector for active private enterprise, for private sector enterprises, to promote the value chains, and drive employment as well as poverty reduction.

“We have about 417 grazing zones in the country. Less than 1 per cent has been inhabited by pastoralists simply because they have been neglected for many years,” Maiha said, adding that the ministry was ready to cooperate with the leadership of the FCT.

Olawale Ajimotokan

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