The Nigerian Institute of Leather Science and Technology (NILEST) Zaria says it has trained 6,000 unemployed youths nationwide in footwear and leather products manufacturing.
Director-General of the NILEST, Prof. Muhammad Yakubu disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja, saying the training was part of the institute’s intervention to empower Nigerian youths to be self-employed in line with the federal government’s job creation efforts.
According to Professor Yakubu, the training was conducted in the six geopolitical zones of the country, adding that the training was a routine activity of the institute which was provided by the government through budgetary allocation to the institute.
He said each trainee received a starter pack of N40, 000 in addition to cash to enable them to start their businesses with less hitches.
“We have directed our centers to monitor the performance of these trainees with a view to assessing and helping them to make a profit in their businesses.
The Director General said 12 state governments have already shown interest in the institute’s training programs and requested support from the institute to establish similar centres.
“We are considering the requests because national leather policy has permitted us to establish two centres in all the states of the federation”, he said.
He said that it was a desire of the institute to see Nigeria became a hub for leather production just like we have in India and china.
“Nigeria has enough market for leather products in Africa; we control socio economic activities in sub-Sahara Africa,’’ Yakubu said.
He expressed the institute’s determination to provide training and research in leather production in the country and urged Nigerians to support its activities.
