Kano State Government is committed to aggressively developing and promoting the leather industry as it has already packaged the establishment of a leather industrial cluster.
The state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje stated this today in a message to a meeting with the Director General, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. H.D. Ibrahim, at the RMRDC Headquarters, Abuja.
“Kano is the hub of hides and skin in sub Saharan Africa and the largest market in the entire Sahel. That is why we are taking advantage of this to grow our economy and create more jobs”.
“Today Kano is home to 21 out of the 28 tanneries in Nigeria. The new leather policy in the Country has also provided for various forms of support to the entire leather value chain, from raising the animals to slaughter and processing of the hides and skin to production of end products, bags, shoes etc”.
The governor, represented by his deputy, Dr. Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, explained that in furtherance of the government’s commitment to exploit the state’s leather potentials, the state was willing to host the International Leather and leather products investment forum, scheduled for August this year.
The event was earlier planned to hold at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, but during the visit of the representatives of RMRDC, the consultants and stakeholders on leather to Kano, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje requested for the event to be held in Kano.
It was, after extensive deliberation, agreed that the event will now hold in Kano and the RMRDC, the Nigerian Army and some other key MDAs shall be partners.
Governor Ganduje reasserted the commitment of his administration to ensure a successful event and grow the leather industry and the Kano economy generally.
The meeting was attended by the Kano state Commissioner for Commerce & Industry, Alh. Ahmad Rabiu, directors of RMRDC and the Managing Director of Superlink Integrated Company Services Limited, the consultants to the event and other directors of the Company.
In a related development, the state Commissioner for Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives and Tourism, Alh. Ahmad Rabiu held another meeting today with the representative of the Chief of Army Staff, Brig. Gen. U. S. Muhammad, at the Army Headquarters on the participation of the Nigerian Army in the event.
The representative of the Chief of Army Staff appreciated the samples of the leather products particularly the Military shoes presented to him. He also assured the team which had the consultant and representatives of RMRDC in attendance of taking appropriate actions to ensure support and patronage from the Nigerian Army.
