Aba shoe makers decry state of Ariaria Market

Shoe makers in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, have appealed to the State Government to speed up work on the proposed industrial cluster at Umukalika, in Obingwa Local Government Area of the State, to provide a more conducive environment for the sector to perform optimally.

They decried the bad state of Ariaria, their present location, which they argued has no basic amenities.

They explained that the finished leather sector (FLS) has capacity to shore up the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR), if basic infrastructure of constant electricity, good roads, and water are provided.

Francis Chukwu of Frantonia Industries Limited, one of the leading shoe manufacturing firms in Aba, argued that for local producers to compete favourably with the international market that electricity and other infrastructure must be put right.

He stressed that epileptic power supply and multiple taxation, were major challenges faced by real sector operators in Nigeria and urged the government to support the sector, which according to him holds key to the industrial development of the country.

He stated that the present location of the Aba finished leather cluster was designed for residential purposes and appealed to the state government to ensure the realization of an industrial cluster for the FL sector.

The Aba finished leather sector, said to be the biggest in West Africa, with about 50,000 people directly engaged in the manufacture of shoes, belts and bags and a production capacity of about one million pairs of shoes per week, currently produces for local and international markets, although unofficially.

Aba made shoes and other finished leather products are popular in Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and other West and East African countries.

The Governor recently approved the establishment of clusters in Aba, starting with the finished leather sector.

According to him, “Our story as a people is one of entrepreneurship, resourcefulness, and diligence. This is our pride. We have astounded the world with our homegrown technical skills, especially during a period of pervasive adversity, and followed it up with our trade and commercial prowess elevating one of our cities, Aba, into a prominent commercial hub within the West African region.

“This historic prominence is to become our future narrative. The time is ripe to use the over 110,000 shoemakers and 50,000 garment makers as a launching pad to enable Abia to truly become the undisputed SME capital of Nigeria”.

He stated that his administration was committed to providing the enabling environment and infrastructure to facilitate the growth and development of Abia and its people; positioning it as a premier residential, business and tourism destination, with the ultimate objective of uplifting the lives of the people.

He recalled that Aba was for many years a thriving hub for manufacturing and commerce until epileptic electricity supply and insecurity forced the shutdown of most indigenous and foreign-owned industries.

Ikpeazu recognized and appreciated the efforts of the Geometric Power Group, towards providing a solution to the perennial challenges of electricity supply to the State.

The Governor observed that the forthcoming operationalisation of the plant would provide a critical input towards the actualization of its blueprint and roadmap for the regeneration of Aba and the entire Abia State.