The Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST) has begun mobilisation of stakeholders in the tannery industry to sponsor a bill that would ban the consumption of animal skin, locally known as ponmo.
The director general, Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST), Zaria, Mr. Muhammad Yakubu, who dropped the hint in Abuja said the aim is to revive the comatose tannery industry in Nigeria.
He said the habit of eating animal skin, which, according to him, has no nutritional value, should be discouraged to save the industry and boost the nation’s economy.
He said the institute, in collaboration with stakeholders in the industry would approach the national assembly and state governments to bring out legislation banning “ponmo” consumption.
“To the best of my knowledge, Nigerians are the only people in the world that overvalue skin as food, after all, ponmo has no nutritional value.
“At one point, there was a motion before the two chambers of the national assembly, it was debated but I don’t know how the matter was thrown away,” he said.
The director general said the consumption of animal skin is partly responsible for the present comatose state of tanneries in Nigeria.
He also said the current national leather policy had addressed some fundamental problems of the sector.
“If we get our tanneries, our footwear and leather production working well in Nigeria, people will hardly get ponmo to buy and eat.
“When implemented fully, it would turn around most of the comatose tanneries and ginger greater output in production,” Yakubu said.
He appealed to stakeholders to support the legislation and the national leather policy to revive the sector.
