By Mohammed Kandi
In a bid to develop robust leather industry in Nigeria, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has evolved strategies that would discourage the importation of leather into the country.
The move received major boost recently when the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina said at the inauguration of the 3rd Council of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science held in Abuja, that measures were being put in place to regulate the consumption of animal skin, popularly known as ponmo in a bid to drive the revival of the nation’s leather industry.
“I have seen a lot of stories saying that the government has banned ponmo, that it is not the job of the government. We need to develop an efficient leather industry in Nigeria and what we are trying to do is to make people understand that we can make a lot of money through the sales of ponmo,” Adesina stated. “We have been importing leather into the country, at the detriment of our local leather manufacturing companies.”
On the strategy to ensure food security through various value chains, Adesina said that the present administration had established the Federal Department of Animal Production, with a view to driving an efficient livestock value chain in the country, hence the members of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) were tasked with the responsibility to develop modern technology in artificial insemination and animal nutrition.
