Nigeria exports hides and skin worth $800 million (N129.6 billion) to Italy annually, Segun Awolowo, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, has said.
Awolowo told the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Lagos that the bulk of the products were from Kano State.
He said hides and skin business was still booming in spite of the security challenges in the North East geopolitical zone of the country.
He added that the Council had entered into collaborative ventures with other stakeholders to make meaningful contributions toward reviving the agriculture and industrial sectors in the Northern part of the country.
He said: “Mr. President had initiated collaborative ventures to reawaken the dead industry in that region.
“Government is working toward sustaining the collaborative ventures because most of our agricultural products are from that region.
“If you talk about sesame seeds, it is from that region.
“If you talk about ginger, it is from that area.
“Efforts must be made to get the industries in that region running.
“We need to build the clusters we require for the industry to thrive.
“Many of the hides and skin clusters are in Kano.
“We are exporting more than $800 million worth of hides and skin to Italy yearly from Kano alone.
“You can imagine what it means in terms of trade.”
