Stakeholders in the finished leather segment of Nigeria’s economy have advocated for synergy between manufacturers and marketers to improve quality of locally made products.
They also advocated for originality in product design to beat competition, from foreign counterparts.
Ayotola Oluwaseun, chief executive officer, Olariwaju Lagos-leather products designers and crafters, urged artisans to improve on the quality and consistency of their products.
He also observed that some of the artisans produce limited quantities, because they run their production manually and solicited Government support to enable them procure machines to enable them produce seamless products.
In his words, “I’m impressed with Aba-made products, because it shows some level of craftsmanship, but emphasis should be placed on improving the quality and consistency of their products, which is a key part.
He also advised the artisans to create their own designs, rather than copy foreign designs. “Let us make products that scream Nigeria, so that when we take it to the outside world, they would see that the product is different”.
Thank-God Injima, managing director, Nwadiche Shoes, Aba, encouraged local consumers and marketers to have confidence in local manufacturers, by being proud of locally made goods.
He adduced use of foreign labels on Aba-made products to Inferiority complex, noting that manufacturers use such labels to deceive consumers, who prefer foreign made goods to locally made ones.
“If we cannot be proud of our own products, then we are encouraging our artisans and local manufacturers to use foreign labels on their products.
“I was surprised to hear a senator of the federal republic, confess in Abuja, in one of the trade exhibitions I attended recently, that he booked for some bags to be imported from China, but a friends of his, informed him that he could source those items in Aba, which he succeeded in getting, but instead of being proud to say that the items were produced in Aba, he claimed that he sourced them from China, thereby depriving Aba and the country of the credit, “he affirmed.
Gbemisola Isho, a Lagos based designer and brand owner, who was in Aba for the first time, said she was in the commercial city, to explore ways of producing a wholly Nigerian product at a cheaper price.
According to her, it has become very difficult to get our products out there, because we are in competition with imported products, which are not necessarily better than ours, but because they are cheaper and most people do not understand that.
“And because our products are made here and most of them are handmade, they are more expensive, than some imported products.
“I have also found out that working with Aba shoe makers, would reduce my cost of production, as their products compete favorably with similar imported products.
“Added to that we are looking at promoting Nigeria-made leather products, because a lot of people don’t actually know that leather is produced here.
“I am just looking for a wholly Nigerian product with no input from abroad, because the leather sector is a silent gold mine. So I am one of those people that are saying that this sector should be formalized and put in the forefront instead of Nigeria depending solely on one product (crude oil), as our revenue earner. I want the leather sector to work”.
