http://www.newsportng.com.ng Oodua Youth Parliament, has decried what they termed as poor management of the Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology, (NILEST) under the leadership of Professor Mohammed Kabir Yakubu.
The speaker, Oodua Youth Parliament, Rt. Hon. Abdulmajeed Oyeniye, lamented over the state of the leader industry, in a press statement issued to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, said research institutes in other countries of the world is a centre of excellence, but in Nigeria, reverse is the case.
It could be recalled that the vision of NILEST upon establishment is to be a center of excellence in the production of scientists, scientific models products and to become a research Institute of International standard in the provision of innovative research and development in the processing and conversion of hides and skins into Leather Products
Speaking further, Oodua Youth Parliament added that with over 100 million of cows, goats and ship with thousand slaughters daily, Nigeria was projected to be a net exporter of hides and an industrial hub in the leather and skin industrial sector, adding that for over 20 years, nothing has changed in the sector but rather got worse.
The group also faulted the DG for citing a N350 million tannery in Daura, Katsina State in northwest Nigeria, a project they described as eye service on the ground that the research institute is situated in northwest region and as such the tannery should have been established in other geopolitical zones of the country to reflect Federal character for the sake of equity, justice and fairness.
The youth parliament, called on president Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency remove Prof. Yakubu and replace him with more competent hands, while alledging that the DG is a professor of Textiles Technology and not leather or agricultural production technology, nor an expert in natural resources management.
Abdulmajeed said, “research institutes everywhere around the world are supposed to be centres of excellence and innovations. They are supposed to be specialised centres pioneering advanced innovative research projects and churning out products that are useful for both individual consumption and industrial use.
“They’re often reference points attracting grants and endowments as well as manpower. Research institutes are ranked on the basis of inventions and patents that come them. Sadly, the Nigerian situation and more specifically, the situation in the Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST) is appalling and deplorable.
“NILEST was conceived with the aim of harnessing the vast potentials in the flourishing livestock industry in country especially in northern Nigeria. With over 100 million of cows, goats and ship with thousand slaughters daily, Nigeria was projected to be a net exporter of hides and an industrial hub in the leather and skin industrial sector. More than 20 years down the line nothing has changed and it got worse under the present administration.
“The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has shown that Nigeria exports less than 100 tons of hides and skin. In fact it’s questionable if this quantity is exported to neighboring African countries and whether it’s just raw skin or actually hides. There has not be any visible footprint of NILEST anywhere in Nigeria even though there are abattoirs spread across the country from Maiduguri to Lagos and Port Harcourt.
“All attempts made at skinning and preservation are done at the individual level with no input from a supposedly professional body. Thus crude practices and techniques still exists making it impossible for the country to produce leather fit for domestic consumption talk more of exportation.
“Nigerian animal skin especially cow skins are only useful for local consumption as ‘ponmo’. There is no industry in Nigeria that processes animal skin, not even the laboratory in NILEST. While the machines and manpower is on standby, there is no management direction and input from anywhere making government investments a total waste. Prof Yakubu should be sacked with immediate effect to bring in somebody who can deliver and make Nigeria a net exporter of not just animal skins but hides.
“As you all know, Nigerians still prefer Italian shoes, bags and belts. The raw materials for these are made from the same cows we have here in abundance. If NILEST was incapable of pioneering research in skin and hides preservation, it should have at least partnered the local tanner’s in Katisna, Zaria, Kano, Borno and elsewhere, but as we speak there is none such partnership and no capacity building of any kind. This is totally unacceptable and must be stopped.
“NILEST has cost Nigerians millions of jobs. With the resources and capacity available to the research institute, millions of Nigerian youth ought to have been trained in skinning, preservation and collection of hides across the country for onward processing at designated centres for export and use by local shoemakers. The value chain from animal skins and hides would have been enormous.
“Infrastructure development under the tenure of the NILEST DG is poor with nothing to show for so far. Aside house personal comfort, there has been no staff promotions and further studies grants since he assumed office.
“At a time Nigeria is seeking to diversify and shift from high dependence on oil, we don’t want a leader that thinks only about their personal interests. A new DG that will reposition the Institute and revive the research culture for industrial gains and economic development is what we want at the moment.
“Our investigations have shown that Mohammed Kabir Yakubu is actually a professor of Textiles Technology and not leather or agricultural production technology, neither is he an expert in natural resources management. Putting square pegs in round holes in a country like Nigeria with abundant professionals in almost all fields is shameful. No wonder, he has failed to make a mark because it’s an area he has no knowledge or expertise whatsoever.
“After sacking him which is the right thing to do, President Buhari should endeavour to appoint a technocrat who will drive the leather industry and give Nigerians value for the huge investments and potentials available in leather processing.” The group added. – Youth Parliament
