Sokoto’s waning leatherworks

Sokoto used to be superfamous for its leatherworks, exporting tons of the product to numerous countries. But as our correspondent found out, more and more of the tanning pits are drying up.   Mohammed loads some skins into a tanning pit full of chemical-laced water. It is an aspect of his routine leather making process, […]

Sokoto used to be superfamous for its leatherworks, exporting tons of the product to numerous countries. But as our correspondent found out, more and more of the tanning pits are drying up.

 

Mohammed loads some skins into a tanning pit full of chemical-laced water. It is an aspect of his routine leather making process, from which he looks up to explain.

“After getting raw skin, we first of all clean it thoroughly with water, then soak it in a chemical-laced pit for two days to take out all the fur. It will then be transferred into a pit containing Bagaruwa (Acacia Nilotic) for at least a day or two days, to give the skin a touch of hardness and quality,’’ he said.

“Next, we wring the water from it and dry it in the sun.  Application of groundnut oil follows and we use local tools to smoothen and straighten it. Local colours are used to give the finished product an attractive appearance.”

The 55-year-old is one of the 10,000 tanners in Sokoto who still use the ancient methods of leather processing.

Sokoto is one of the major contributors to the livestock population in Nigeria. The country has 19.5million cattle, 72.5million goat, and 41.3million sheep, among others, according to the National Agriculture Sample Survey on Animal Census.

Sokoto’s red goat is highly valued as top notch in leather production circles. However, even with the abundance of raw material, Sokoto lacks modern processing machines and tools to make leather for export and local use.

Over the years, the once thriving industry has suffered.

“As a result of poor market, most of the local tanners in the metropolis are no longer functioning such as the ones in Akalawa, Marannawa, Rumbukawa, Gajerawa and Aliyu Jedo areas,” Alhaji Mustapha Labaran, Chairman Local Tanners Association Sokoto State chapter, said.

The Chairman laments that the foundation has not been laid for sustained flourishing climate for a sector that provided significant revenue in the past.

“With the current situation in the market, more than 80 pits have been closed down.

At Bodinga, there are about 1600 local tanners in the area, but when the glut comes around, they all suffered,” he said.

At the peak of the leather business in Sokoto, Labaran recalls, “the tanners got large inflow of customers from within and outside the state including exporters who trade in leathers in countries such as Morocco, Italy, and Mali.”

For Alhaji Mustapha there is nostalgia when he looks at places like Unguwar Rogo Tannery.

“Hundreds of youths were engaged in various aspects of leather processing in the area. Others made good businesses selling tanning ingredients such as salt and bagaruwa as well as other things, including snacks.”

He wonders why successive governments in the state have been unable to ensure development of the leather industry, which was once a major income earner and a revenue base.

They clearly enjoyed more support from the previous government of Aliyu Wamakko. The situation has changed since that governor left office. But despite that,

there are quite a number of local tanners still in Bodinga, Kware, Gwadabawa, Isa, Illela, Gada, Kebe, Wurno, Dangeshuni, Sokoto North and Sokoto South.

Processed leather from local tanners cost N1,000-N1,150 for sheep while processed goat skin cost N800–N900.

The Sarkin Mayewa of Sokoto State, Alhaji Yusuf Abubakar says they provide locally processed leather to dealers who export it and to Dukawa (Local cobblers) but the decline in the business bothers him.

“In the past, we provided over 200 containers, but now it is limited to just six containers. There was a time we provided leather to 11 companies,” he said.

With about 4,000 members across the state, Alhaji Yusuf believes government intervention could save a lot of jobs and a historic profession.

For the leather goods producers, it is also a gloomy tale. The secretary of the newly formed executives of the Sokoto Leather Goods Producers Association, Alhaji Muh’d Buhari bemoans the collapse of Dange Leather Factory, SOLETA and SOKOTAN as a major setback for the trade.

“We still go to Kano to purchase quality processed leather for our work whose quality can only match with the ones from Italy and Morocco,” he said.

He also recalled that in the past, government, the Sultanate Council and a number of individuals make bulk purchases of leather goods for their guests, and personal needs.

“The story is different today with a slump in sales and difficulty in sourcing the desired quality processed leather from companies in Kano.”

But he still retains hope for a change of fortune and modernization of the industry.

“They need to be sent on tour and training in foreign countries such as Italy and Morocco, where leather goods producers make use of modern tools for a quality finished products. We need exposure and only government can sponsor such trips.”

Soft loans, he thinks, will also help revive the fledgling industry. He says this with an eye on a N2 billion loan agreement entered into between the present administration and the Bank of Industry. The loan is meant to be disbursed to small scale business owners in Sokoto.

The Sokoto Leather Good Producers Association is also among the 10 groups to benefit from the credit facility introduced by the office of the Vice President for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

“With availability of Sokoto red goat leather, we could have done better with a Modern Leather Tanning factory,”, he said, adding: “It is only because we cannot help the situation that we resort to using locally tanned leather and sometimes for a higher quality finished products, we go to Kano and purchase from their  modern companies.”

But if the government is to be believed, things might be looking up for the leather workers.

“Government is committed to developing the leather sector because of the economic potentials in the state,” The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Bande Rikina said.

“We are working on a number of strategies.”

The strategies, include the formation of clusters under which a leather line processing and production plant would be established to promote quality process and mass production for export.

However, there is the National Institute for Leather and Science Technology, NILEST owned production center in Sokoto State. NILEST is an agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology. It is solely owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The Sokoto extension center was established in 1972 as a light leather manufacturing center.

“In Leather manufacturing, it means the research and development of coverings of small animals like Sheep, goats, reptile skins e.t.c. and to also provide extension services to relevant stakeholders in the industry right from the animals breeding/husbandry, the butchering/flaying of the animal, the preservation of the hides and skins recovered, the processing/production of the raw material (skins) into Leather through modern and local methods, production of footwear and other Leather materials and finally to the end users,” Edward Caleb Kinchai of NILEST  Sokoto said.

“We are also to provide short term trainings in Leather production/manufacturing and production of footwear and other Leather goods. We also collaborate with the state government on this and also provide Technical advices on Modern flaying techniques, preservation and production of the raw hides and skins.’’

The NILEST center however relies on abattoirs in the state for the raw materials.

It  produces upholstery leathers, shoe upper leathers, shoe lining leathers, sole leathers, belting leathers (including heavy machines belting leathers), among others.

The center’s capacity is put at 500 pcs of skins per day or 200pcs of hides (Coverings of Larger animals) as the case may be.

The center too has not escaped the decline in the industry as it machinery is obsolete with decreased efficiency.

Also, a major impediment for the centre is infrequent power supply.

“Power has always been our major concern. Inadequate water supply by the water board also. We use borehole water and depend on the board to operate those pumping machine,” Kinchai reveals.

With the current prices of fuel, operating with the generator is demanding.

The economic factor also plays a great role, Kinchai observes, noting the instability of the prices of leather and leather products.