The European Union (EU) has commended the craftsmanship of Made-in-Abia leather products, reinforcing the state’s reputation as Nigeria’s leading hub for leather production.
The Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Massimo De Luca, made this known during a one-day working visit to Aba.
De Luca said that the state’s leather industry held a lot of potentials and talents for possible investments which should earn it an international recognition.
He said that the Union had ongoing collaborations with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and German Cooperation to enhance the global leather sector.
De Luca also said that these collaborations positioned the Union as a key partner in the global leather industrial development.
He revealed that these partnerships focus on quality standards, standardisation, and improved manufacturing practices,
He further said that UNIDO would soon launch new projects to strengthen value chains, enhance product quality, and improve environmental manufacturing practices in the leather sector.
“It is an area the Union keeps being active through a number of projects which are assigned big support through UNIDO, the United Nations agency .
“The agency will soon start working in value chains, quality and improvement in manufacturing and environmental.
“It has always been my dream to visit Abia because I have heard so much about Aba shoes and the leather industry.
“The name Abia deserves all the attention and respect worldwide and this is what we need to fight for, Abia first and Abia products first,”he said.
Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade, Commerce and Industry, Chief Nwaka Inem, has reaffirmed Abia government’s commitment to boost the local leather industry.
Inem said that the government would focus on assisting artisan’s to improve their production quality and traders to expand their leather obusinesses.
“The government is committed to giving traders all necessary support to help them produce better than they are now and to be more meaningfully engaged.
“Our goal is to assess the challenges you face so we can optimise your operations,” he said.
He further assured traders that the government, through the Ministry of Trade and Investment and the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Agency, would draft a comprehensive support mechanism to address their needs.
“We have observed the environment and understand your concerns.
“We will take note of the deficiencies and come back with solutions that will enhance your trade, beyond improving the environment, we want to ensure that you produce better-quality goods,” he said.
Chief Inem also highlighted Gov Alex Otti’s commitment to partnering with the EU to uplift the leather sector in Aba.
He said that the visit by the EU delegation had demonstrated the government and the Union’s keen interest in the growth of the industry in the state.
Inem said that the state government’s intervention would boost Aba’s leather industry, positioning it for competitiveness in both local and international markets.(NAN)
