There would be more job opportunities as work on the Lagos State’s Leather Hub has reached 65 percent completion.
This was disclosed by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of the state, while addressing newsmen while inspecting the hub at Matori Industrial Area of the state, to acquaint itself of the level of development that is happening there.
On completion, the hub would translate to the generation of direct and indirect jobs for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the ecosystem.
The hub will be a primary manufacturing source for retailers in the ecosystem. There is a large leather market in Mushin to take up the produce to consumers; traders will no longer be burdened to turn tanned skins to finished products, he said.
According to him, the contractor remains committed to the December deadline for the completion of the hub which he said, would have about 42 lock-up shops, where finished leather goods would be traded.
The facility would also offer training opportunities for youths to learn skills in leather manufacturing and earn a living in the value chain.
The Sanwo-Olu administration conceived the tannery project in 2020 for the production of leather products, such as shoes, belts, bags and upholsteries.
He said ”Our contractor has committed to the December deadline but we will give him one or two months’ grace, because we are expecting the equipment to be used for the leather production to start arriving in October.
”We should be able to complete this before the end of the first tenure of our government.
”The Economic value of this is that we can start and end the entire production process here in Lagos. Jobs will be generated and businesses will be developed,” the governor said.
He said that raw leather exported to China and Europe were brought back to Nigeria in finished goods and they were more expensive.
According to him, the state government initiated the idea of a leather hub to break into the
He said the Lagos Leather Hub when completed and production took off, would be able to train about 100 students in the leather works value chain.
