Leather industry has capacity to become second biggest FX earner—players
The leather industry can create over one million jobs and can become Nigeria’s second largest foreign exchange earner after oil& gas, according to industry players.
They said this at the second edition of the Lagos Leather Fair held in early May in Lagos. Themed ‘The New Possible’, the fair explored the various possibilities of the industry in terms of growth and innovation and invited relevant stakeholders to have this conversation.
Founded by Femi Olayebi of FemiHandbags, the fair drew attention to the potential of the leather industry to create over a million direct and indirect jobs as well as become the second earner of foreign exchange after oil and gas. This initiative is supported by the Lagos State government, Bank of Industry and Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
The fair promoted local leather goods and provided trainings for artisans by featuring over 50 leather exhibitors as well as scheduling master classes and workshops. These trainings were hosted by local and international speakers including Bill Amberg of Bill Amberg Studios, Patrizia Prencipe, (leather consultant), Liz Oluwadare(Export Manager, Mall For Africa), and Ayotomi Rotimi(Founder Xclamations), among others. Some of the topics discussed were ‘The Magic of Leather: Exploring the Endless Possibilities’, ‘The Fine Art of Shoe Making’, ‘From Factory To Consumer and Everything in Between’, ‘Leather crafting and How to Build Brand Influence in a Competitive World’.
The panelists included Adewale Bakare (Representative for the minister of state for industry, trade and investment), Olayinka Oladunjoye (commissioner for commerce, industry and cooperatives), and Olu Domingo(owner of a tannery), among others.
After fully evaluating the contribution of the leather industry to the economy, it was concluded that the government should make favourable policies to further enable the growth of the industry.
The exhibitions, which ran daily, allowed guests shop various leather goods and they were entertained by the pop-up catwalk shows during the day.
Dolapo Osinbajo, the wife of the vice president of Nigeria was also present to see the products on display and support the made-in-Nigeria initiative.
A surprise screening titled ‘From Ponmo to Paris: A journey from the Slaughterhouse to the Catwalks’ showcased the potential the country has as a nation where raw materials are properly allocated. A runway show displaying various leather goods including bags, shoes, outfits and accessories was also featured.
Ifeoma Okeke