Most Nigerian leather, often semi-finished, is exported to Europe and Asia, where it’s transformed into luxury items bearing international brand labels, with no indication of its origin. However, Isi Omiyi, through her indigenous brand, is creating luxury pieces to revive the identity of Nigerian leather.
In her Lagos metropolitan apartment, she has set up a boutique corner where bags, wallets, and shoes are meticulously displayed on shelves, some bearing price tags of up to $1,500. The 56-year-old designer told AFP, “Leather is part of our heritage. I cannot simply stand by and watch others take all the credit for the work we’ve started here.”
Her mission is to bolster ‘Made in Nigeria’ craftsmanship. Omiyi stated, “She would like these foreign brands to include ‘originally from Nigeria’ alongside ‘Made in Italy,’ ‘Made in France,’ or elsewhere on their products, as most currently do not.”
According to the country’s export development agency, Nigeria exports 90% of its leather, primarily to Italy and Spain, which together account for approximately three-quarters of the total volume. Oluwole Oyeleke, a researcher at the Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology in Samaru, Kaduna State, noted that leather exports generate approximately $600 million in annual revenue.
