The Director General of the Nigeria Institute of Leather Science and Technology (NILEST), Dr. Auwal Mustapha Imam, has pledged to reposition the institute as Africa’s hub for innovation, research, and sustainable growth in the leather industry.
Dr. Imam gave the assurance while addressing participants at the 5th International Virtual Conference of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), NILEST Chapter, held under the theme: “Sustainable Leather Production in Africa: Pathways to Zero Waste and Net-Zero Emissions.” He emphasized that NILEST, through its mandate of training, research, and consultancy, would intensify efforts to support the development of leather and allied products while providing world-class services in production, marketing, and quality control.
Earlier in his welcome address, ASUP NILEST Chapter Chairman, Comrade Joseph Odey Oko, said the conference was timely given the global urgency of climate change and environmental sustainability. He explained that the leather sector in Africa must innovate and embrace cleaner technologies to remain competitive and environmentally responsible, while urging participants to contribute ideas that would shape practice and policy.
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Industry experts and scholars at the conference reinforced these concerns. Leather industry expert, Malam Bello Abba Yakasai, in his paper on “Modelling Wastewater and Carbon Footprint,” decried the environmental challenges caused by untreated tannery waste in Kano, Zaria, and Katsina. He urged NILEST to spearhead training, research collaborations, and global partnerships that would transform the sector into a major economic alternative to oil.
Similarly, Dr. Amina Bayero of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, stressed the need for green chemistry in leather processing, calling for safer chemical synthesis and eco-friendly alternatives to reduce toxic emissions. She noted that zero-waste and net-zero emissions in the leather value chain were achievable through collaborative innovation between academia, industry, and policymakers.
The two-day virtual conference, which brought together stakeholders across Africa, concluded with a call for stronger investment, adoption of global best practices, and research-driven reforms to fully harness the leather industry’s potential for job creation, export growth, and national development.