Naraguta leather village: Visited by Jeff Bush, abandoned by Nigerian governments

Once a thriving business, the leather industry in Northern Nigeria has gone into a comatose, although its practitioners are hopeful that it could still be brought back to life if given the necessary support. KOLA OYELERE and ISAAC SHOBAYO report on the current challenges the workers and the industry are facing.

THE leather industry in the northern part of Nigeria is well known for its colourful products, even beyond the shores of the country. Apart from being a centuries-old industry, employing several thousands of maids, it also attracts interests from across the world. Notable among the leather industry in the North are those sited in Kano, Kaduna and Plateau. But unfortunately, the once flourishing industry is now a shadow of its old self due to several factors among which are poor economy, security issues, foreign exchange and lack of support from the government. Naraguta Leather Works in Naraguta village, Jos, used to be a household name in Plateau State and beyond, considering its size and quality works as seen in the shoes, slippers, souvenirs, carpets, cushions and other colourful leather products by the company. The success story of the leather industry, which has put the name of the village on regional and global map, started with one man’s vision in 1978.

Musa Shuaibu, who had vast experience in leather works, started his company as a family business, but it later became an attraction to many others who later ventured into the leather industry. Through this man’s doggedness and commitment, Shuaibu was able to pass the legacy to another generation.

Musa’s son, now the Managing Director of Naraguta Leather Works, Mallam Abdullahi Shuaibu, and popularly known as Babawo in Jos, said the leather company had trained no fewer than 5,000 people since its inception, just as he corroborated his father’s statement that it initially started as a family business. As regards the rapid proliferation of the industry in the Plateau, he said that majority of those trained in the village were doing well, and that they are now spread as far as Chad and Niger Republic.

“In Nigeria, most of those in leather work industry were trained here in this village,” he added.

A lot of visitors to Jos also attest to the fact that Jos is the city to visit when it comes to quality leather works. A lot of respondents told Arewa Live that the village has become a tourist centre where visitors, including Europeans who now love African products, to throng the city for the local products.

Speaking further, the Naraguta Leather works boss said that apart from souvenirs, the industry also produces artificial legs and hands with leather for accident victims with permanent disabilities.

“Almost everything you see here is produced locally. We have local ways of tanning the skin and from it, we make leather jackets, trousers and skirt. The skin used to make belts is different from the one used for skirts. There is hardly any type of leather work that you would not be able to see here,” Shuaibu stated

Despite the long history of this village, however, no government has ever gone to see what these entrepreneurs are doing and to know where they require assistance.

Another leather worker, Awwal Mohammed, who also claimed to have been in the business for more than two decades, said Naraguta Leather Works is not only synonymous with Plateau State, but also Nigeria, adding that most leather products that are now seen in arts, crafts shops and hotels around country, are produced in the village.

The story, however, is not all about success again as findings reveal that the once vibrant leather village is fast becoming a shadow of itself. Those who presently work in the village attribute the sorry state to the many past communal crises that has rocked Jos, and Plateau State in general. But despite the return of peace to the state, most tourists, business men and women are still skeptical of returning to Jos. Most of the major players in the leather industry, which made the town to thrive, are frustrated by the low patronage they are presently experiencing.

Apart from this, the deplorable state of the major roads linking the village to its immediate communities such as the University of Jos main campus, Bauchi road and other suburbs, has not helped matters as this negatively affects products movement.

“The business’ fortune is further compounded by lack of good road to the village. It was fairly better in the past, but the University of Jos, which is our immediate neighbor, has made things difficult for us in trying to demarcate and secure the campus. Government too is doing nothing to open up the village. The bad roads leading to this place are discouraging,» Shuaibu added.

Shehu Ibrahim, a leather worker who designs shoes, belts, among others, said despite the long history of the tannery and patronage from both locals and foreigners, no administration, be it at the state or the federal level, has ever thought it fit to come to the aid of the villagers by fixing the bad roads.

«Government knows that this village has been in existence way back 1978, but no administration has ever deemed it fit to provide social amenities for the indigenes in other to further open up it up to bigger prospects,» Ibrahim said.

Shuaibu also told Arewa Live that the village, in the past, had hosted quite a lot of tourists, including prominent leaders across the globe such as the younger brother of the former American president, Jeff Bush, who once visited the village along with other tourists, adding that, apart from this, most of the souvenirs given to visitors by government and companies in Plateau State were often bought in the village.

“Before the Jos crises began, traders from Lagos, Aba, Onistha, and different parts of the country, frequently visited this village to buy leather products and resell same, but most of these traders now prefer to transfer money to us, while we send their products through commercial vehicles. We no longer see them face to face like it used to be before. Though we keep assuring them that peace has since returned to Plateau State, many of them are still afraid of coming and prefer faceless transactions,” Shuaibu added.Despite these shortcomings, leather workers in the industry must survive and on their own, they are doing everything possible to keep the business alive by promoting the craft industry, but without government support, which he acknowledges by commending the Plateau State government for its efforts towards permanent peace in the state, all efforts would be in futility. He urged the administration to intensify efforts in reassuring Nigerians the international community that Plateau State is now safe for business and tourism.” Before the crises, there was a large concentration of Europeans in Jos. Many of them lived here, while others came as tourists. But the number has reduced, which is drastically affecting business. Since peace has returned, there is the need to rebrand Plateau State to regain its lost glory,” Shuaibu opined.

Kofar Wambe leather products market

The leather industry in Kano State may not have Naraguta’s enviable history and legacy, but it is by no means a thriving industry. Kofar Wambe is one of the largest markets in Kano because of an array of materials available for sale there. In this market, leather could be made into virtually anything, especially shoes. It is as extremely busy market as the Idumota Market in Lagos.

Auwalu Musa Mairiya, who specialises in leather works and has been in the business for more than 10 years, told Arewa Live that the high demand for dollar has been a blessing in disguise for him because imported shoes have reduced to a large extent, unlike before, leading to higher demand for local foot wears.

Twenty-eight-year-old Said Gambo, after being in the business for two years, also said that Nigerians are now more interested in locally produced shoes because the imported ones are now more expensive due to the high rate of the naira against the dollar.

“Business is booming here and many customers are coming from all parts of the country, even more customers are coming from neighbouring countries such as Chad and Niger Republic,” Gambo said.

However, the skin, rubber and other materials used in making shoes are now very expensive and that prices of products are not stable due to the unstable foreign exchange.

As encouraging as this sounds, Mairiya admitted that several issues are facing the leather workers in Kofar Wambe.

Banks are also not helping much, he averred. “It has not been an easy task for leather workers to access loans due to the stringent hurdles put in place.”

Amongst these are inadequate equipment and machines, apart from finance. Also, unlike his counterparts in China, Italy and Spain, where, with the availability of equipment and capital, about 1,000 pairs of shoes could be produced in a day, compared to 10 pairs produced each day in Kofar Wambe.

He was of the opinion that government should provide financial assistance to those in the industry so that they could expand the businesses and create employment for many.

“Once the means of production is faster, shoe-making and other leather products will become cheaper,” Mairiya said.