Unlocking Nigeria’s Non-Oil Goldmine: Building a Globally Competitive Leather & Fashion Ecosystem

When you think of high fashion, complete outfits require both apparel and footwear. You are addressed the way you dress—and pairing exceptional attire with handcrafted leather shoes creates an unmistakable mark of elegance. Yet, while Nigeria possesses vast agricultural and creative talent, the country’s leather and fashion sectors have historically operated in isolated silos.

On a recent episode of  NILEST Leather Connect on Jordan 105.5 FM, host Von Michael brought together top industry voices to explore how Nigeria can bridge the gap between leather craftsmanship and apparel to build a thriving, export-ready economy.

The panel featured:

Ewo Mazino-Ekwani: Founder & Creative Director of Mazino Fashions, business operations consultant, and coach.

Comrade Fashino Akoredi: MD/CEO of AA King Co-Fashion Africa Bespoke Shoes & Training Director for Callan Cobblers and Leather Artisans Association of Nigeria.

Benjamin Aduli: Social impact entrepreneur and strategic ecosystem developer (Maestrade).

Dr. Kabir Ali Masanwa:  Cultural heritage advocate, Director General/CEO of Katsina State History & Culture Bureau, and Technical Advisor to the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy.

Here are the critical takeaways on how Nigeria can transform its creative potential into global economic dominance.

1. Bridging Policy Neglect and Economic Potential

Leather remains one of Nigeria’s most promising non-oil export sectors. Despite abundant livestock resources and a long-standing reputation for quality hides and skins, the industry continues to face hurdles, including policy neglect, inconsistent export incentives, and delayed government support.

• Countries across Asia and Europe continue to invest heavily in leather production because of its ability to generate employment, stimulate manufacturing, and earn foreign exchange. Nigeria has the raw materials, technical expertise, and market opportunities. What remains is consistent government commitment and the political will to implement the National Leather Policy.”
  Comrade Fashino Akoredi

To stop losing ground in expanding global markets, local stakeholders must collaborate through workshops, summits, and private sector investments rather than relying solely on government action.

2. Setting Standards: From Farm to Finished Product

A recurring theme during the broadcast was the difference between raw creativity and international standardization. As Benjamin Aduli noted, mistakes are part of the learning process for entrepreneurs, but global competitiveness requires strict adherence to quality control.

The Agricultural Foundation: Quality leather begins long before tanning. It starts at the farm level with how livestock is raised and managed.

Standardization and Certification: Local artisans need access to training and certification through recognized institutes so their finished goods carry a stamp of authority recognized in international markets.

Upcoming Masterclasses:  To address finishing challenges, organizations are organizing hands-on masterclasses—such as an upcoming session in Ogun State featuring master facilitators from Italy and London covering pattern-making through final finishing.

3. Beyond Glitz and Glamour: Converting Creativity to Commerce

Addressing the upcoming Nigeria Fashion Week, Ewo Mazino-Ekwani emphasized that fashion events must deliver tangible business outcomes.

• Beyond the showcase, exhibition, and runway, this year includes the Nigerian Fashion Entrepreneurs Forum. We are bringing fashion entrepreneurs, financial partners, and policymakers into one room to talk about how to convert creativity into commerce, grow business revenues, and boost Nigeria’s GDP.”*
  — Mazino-Ekwani

Mazino also clarified an important distinction in the industry chain: a **tailor (or garment maker)** focuses on the physical assembly and stitching of garments, whereas a **fashion designer** owns the end-to-end creative vision, business operation, and brand strategy.

4. Breaking Silos: Connecting Regional Clusters

Dr. Kabir Ali Masanwa highlighted that Nigeria’s path to luxury recognition shouldn’t involve copying foreign mass-market brands. Instead, it requires leveraging local heritage and connecting regional strengths:

Regional Synergies: Supply hubs in the North (Katsina, Jigawa, Kano, Sokoto) produce raw hides and leather, while industrial hubs like Aba house sophisticated leather processing capabilities.

Reverse Engineering: Instead of importing synthetic or finished materials from abroad, Nigeria must rebuild its domestic supply chains and revitalize domestic textile ecosystems.

Cultural Authenticity: Authentic luxury relies on storytelling, heritage, and unique cultural identity rather than mass production.

 Moving Forward Together

The synergy between fashion apparel and leather craftsmanship is key to positioning “Made in Nigeria” goods on the world stage. Through continuous skill development, strict quality standards, and cross-industry collaboration, local artisans and designers are well on their way to replacing foreign imports with world-class home-grown alternatives.

Also, during the first edition of the leather summit the DG of Nilest opined that:

​Dr. Awal Mustafa Imam, Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST), emphasized the agency’s role in advancing tech development and regulating standards across the value chain. Government-backed skill acquisition initiatives and training workshops across Lagos and other hubs are actively bridging the technical gap for local artisans.

​To position Nigeria as a global leather hub, panelists called for:
​Stronger public-private collaborations focusing on international exposure, research, and skill expansion.
​Policy frameworks that safeguard local manufacturers while improving domestic access to finished materials.
​Stricter environmental and processing regulations to streamline standards.
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