Awolowo: Leather policy ll boost industrial growth

The Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has said the Federal Governments leather policy will boost industrial growth and solve most of the problems hindering the growth of the leather sector.Its Executive Director, Mr Olusegun Awolowo, who spoke in Lagos at the weekend, said the leather industry is very critical to national growth and development because it will boost our Gross Development Product (GDP) and increase the countrys foreign exchange earnings.He said efforts would be made to ensure effective implementation of the policy, adding that past efforts at industrialisation failed because no step was taken on it.Awolowo noted that the industry being an integral component of the Federal Governments Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), whose value chain is critical to the economy, has the potential of earning billions of dollars for the country by 2025, given all the required support and intervention.He said: Our leather products are already competing with the international market. Many of them are being sold abroad already. But we need to increase productivity in order to meet up with other international brands.With approval of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, the NEPC has commenced the process of implementing the zero oil plans. This non-oil export revolution campaign is set to systematically grow non-oil export.Hides and leather are strategic. Fair provides platform to showcase creativity of Nigerians and offer opportunity to identify gaps and potential of the industry whose value chain is a critical economic sector as identified in NEPCs zero oil plan, an integral component of the Federal Government economic recovery and growth plan (ERGP).In the bid to boost Nigerias industrialisation process, the Federal Government has inaugurated the National Steering Committee to implement Leather Products Policy in the country.The committee is expected to set up working plan and budget for the effective implementation of the policy within two months.
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