Muhammad, a leather products seller in Abuja, is an ardent promoter of locally-produced leather products such as bags, shoes and belts, among others.
“These are the advantages. I sell more than those selling only foreign leather works because the prices are moderate,’’ he says. “We now have a real opportunity to address the specific challenges and shortcomings of the leather sector with pragmatic strategies to permanently resolve these issues for optimal productivity.”
According to them, imported bags would come with price tags of between N5,000 and N60,000 while Naraguta in Jos, Sokoto State, Kano State, Katsina State, Adamawa, Oyo State and Borno could produce better cost effective leather craft. “I received a make-up bag as a souvenir, with the contact of the craftsman printed on it. I decided to give it a try and had three sets of school and lunch bags made for just N16,000.