The government of Lagos State and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have reiterated their partnership to deepen and expand the African leather market.
The announcement was made during the ongoing two-day Fashion, Leather & Creative Enterprise Spotlight exhibition, themed ‘Crafting Prosperity: Connecting African Creativity to Markets’, at the Oluremi Tinubu Industrial Leather Hub in Oshodi, Lagos, on Friday.
The second event, themed “Crafting Prosperity: Connecting African Creativity to Markets, Capital and Growth”, featured exhibitions, masterclasses, B2B matchmaking and a product marketplace, bringing together Nigeria’s creative entrepreneurs, buyers, investors and partners.
Speaking at the event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth and Creation, Akinyemi Bankole Ajigbotafe, emphasised the collaboration with the UNDP.
“This edifice you see here is not just for fashion, but a hub where we can bring different people together to see how they can grow,” he said.
“We are creating a platform where it can be easy for them to transact and grow their business. This is also a very, very important thing for us to see how we can collaborate with UNDP. We are not stopping at the state level alone.”
“We are looking at how we can make this business. So we are not just stopping at the state level alone. We are giving room for fashion; that’s why we have the Commissioner for Tourism here to see how we can collaborate, because you can’t just wear shoes alone, you can’t just carry bags alone. They complement each other. The bags, the accessories, go with the clothing as well.”
He said the Ministry of Wealth Creation is working with the UNDP and other partners to make the state a true creativity hub.
“Our ministry remains committed to working alongside UNDP, the Bank of Industry and every partner in this room to ensure that Lagos becomes not just a city where creativity is born, but where it’s funded, skilled and exported,” he said.
Also speaking, the UNDP Africa’s Regional Director, Ahunna Eziakonwa, said the global body is in Lagos to explore areas of partnership.
“We are here to also see how best we can connect to our brothers and sisters in the continent to do business amongst ourselves. But while we are doing that business, we are also creating jobs and raising revenue.
“We need power. And therefore, how do we work together to ensure that we have power? This is because when there is power, there is business.
“And this is where we come in as UNDP, working with the private sector, working with other partners to ensure that we can connect. A few months ago, we did something similar. We went into partnership with SMEDAN.
“SMEDAN had equipment just like here, but the equipment was not functioning because there was no power. All we did was work with them and other partners, and we managed to bring in energy. Once we brought in energy, there was life.
“Other people talked about digitalisation, innovation. Again, this is great. One of the things that UNDP is doing under the leadership of our regional director is establishing what we are calling innovation hubs across different parts of the states, whether in universities, whether in communities and all that.
“These spaces also provide an opportunity for you to go in there and to see how your business can be supported to grow digitally. But also, beyond growing digitally, many of our people sometimes don’t have patents; they don’t have intellectual property or other things, and we do hope that we can work with you on that. The other area that came up strongly is financing, and that’s one of the reasons I am a commissioner.
“We are working with you on wealth creation, looking at pathways for financing, but also working with developing banks in Nigeria and others to look for that.
“So, for me, it’s an important gathering, not just because we wanted to activate the space. We are talking about the future of development in Nigeria and where we can create jobs, where we can create opportunities,” she said.
On her own, UNDP Resident Representative, Elsie Attafuah, regretted that, with Nigeria as a major player in the leather industry, the country ships out raw hides abroad and later imports finished leather products, thereby denying the country the opportunity to earn from the value chain.
She said, “Nigeria is a massive player in the leather sector. But look at what happens next. While over 70% of Africa’s raw hides are currently exported in a processed form, investing in modern tanneries could double their value.
“Finished leather goods such as footwear, bags, and apparel, as we saw upstairs, can command up to five times the price of raw materials in both domestic and international markets. So let that sink in for a little bit. Five times the price.”
Adejoke Benson Awoyinka, the Lagos Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, said under the present administration, Lagos is committed to positioning the state as the creative hub.
“Under the visionary leadership of our dear governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State Government remains committed to positioning the creative economy as a major driver of economic growth.
“Through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, we continue to support initiatives that promote capacity, innovation, market access, and strategic partnerships for practitioners across the creative value chain.
“We are equally committed to showcasing Lagos’ creative excellence through festivals, exhibitions, trade missions, and other platforms that connect our entrepreneurs to global opportunities.”
She said the artisans in the state are doing well, motivated to further innovate.