The Federal Government of Nigeria has pronounced that it has a plan to legislate on the ban of the consumption of animal skin, locally called ‘ponmo’ to revive tanneries.
The Director General , Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology , NILEST ,Zaria, Muhammad Yakubu said this in Abuja on Sunday .
NILEST was set up to promote leather production as provided in the Agricultural Research Institute Act of 1975. The institute conducts research of the production and products of leather and the utilization of local tanning materials in the country.
Yakubu , who said that the litigation was necessary to revive the decline of leather industry in the country, said the habit of eating animal skin , which has no nutritional value , should be stopped to save the industry and boost the nation’s economy.
The DG added that the institute , in collaboration with stakeholders in the industry, would approach the national assembly and State governments to bring out a legislation banning ‘’ponmo’’ consumption.
He said, ’’To the best of my knowledge, Nigerians are the only people in the world that over value skin as food ; after all, ’Ponmo’ has no nutritional value.’’
‘’At one point, there was a motion before the two chambers of the National Assembly , it was debated but I don’t know how the matter was thrown away?’’
He also said that the current National Leather Policy had addressed some fundamental problems of the sector.
Yakubu said : ’’If we get our tanneries , our footwear and leather production working well in Nigeria, people will hardly get ‘Ponmo’ to buy and eat’’.
‘’When implemented fully, it would turn around most of the comatose tanneries and ginger greater output in production’’.