Shoemakers in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, have appealed to the State Government to speed up work on the proposed industrial cluster at Umukalika, in Obingwa Local Government Area of the State, to provide a more conducive environment for the sector to perform optimally.
They decried the bad state of Ariaria, their present location, which they argued has no basic amenities.
They explained that the finished leather sector (FLS) has capacity to shore up the State’s internally generated revenue (IGR), if basic infrastructure of constant electricity, good roads and water are provided.
Francis Chukwu of Frantonia Industries Limited, one of the leading shoe manufacturing firms in Aba, argued that for local producers to compete favourably at the international market that electricity and other infrastructure must be put right.
He stressed that epileptic power supply and multiple taxation were major challenges faced by real sector operators in Nigeria and urged Government to support the sector, which according to him holds key to the industrial development of the country.
He stated that the present location of the Aba finished leather cluster was designed for residential purposes, and appealed to the State Government to ensure the realisation of an industrial cluster for the FL sector.
The Aba finished leather sector, said to be the biggest in West Africa, with about 50,000 people directly engaged in the manufacture of shoes, belts and bags and a production capacity of about one million pairs of shoes per week, currently produces for local and international markets, although unofficially.
Aba made shoes and other finished leather products are popular in Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and other West and East African countries.
The Governor recently approved the establishment of clusters in Aba, starting with the finished leather sector.
According to him, “Our story as a people is one of entrepreneurship, resourcefulness and diligence. This is our pride. We have astounded the world with our homegrown technical skills, especially during a period of pervasive adversity, and followed it up with our trade and commercial prowess elevating one of our cities, Aba, into a prominent commercial hub within the West African region.
