The Federal Government has officially transferred the newly established Leather Enterprise Centre to the Audu Bako College of Agriculture, Dambatta, Kano State, as part of strategic efforts to transform the country’s livestock sector and unlock massive investment opportunities. The Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, commissioned the facility during a working visit, describing it as a pivotal step toward equipping young Nigerians with marketable vocational skills, boosting industrial growth, and reducing youth unemployment.
Nigeria currently produces over 50 million hides and skins every year, with Kano processing more than 80 percent of this total output. The newly commissioned centre is designed to bridge existing skill gaps by providing students and local entrepreneurs with hands-on technical training, practical business incubation, and advanced research facilities in leather processing and shoe manufacturing.
This initiative is projected to position the regional leather value chain for global competitiveness, accelerating economic diversification away from crude oil dependency. Stakeholders and state officials have lauded the development, noting that encouraging academic-industry collaboration through sustainable public-private partnerships will significantly enhance local production capabilities.
Ultimately, the administration aims to move past exporting semi-processed raw materials by fostering complete domestic manufacturing of finished goods like footwear and bags. This shift is anticipated to trigger an industrial revolution across Northern Nigeria while transforming graduates from job seekers into employers of labor.
