The Federal Government has cautioned that the continued consumption of hides and skins popularly called ponmo poses a significant threat to Nigeria’s leather industry, currently valued at about $5 billion.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja at the National Campaign Against the Consumption of Ponmo, the Director-General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Ikemounso, said the practice deprives the leather sector of critical raw materials needed for production and export.
Ikemounso explained that the Nigerian leather goods market was valued at $2.79 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $4.96 billion by 2033, warning that diverting hides for consumption could derail the industry’s growth.
“From an economic and industrial standpoint, cowhides are one of Nigeria’s most valuable raw materials,” he said. “Sadly, the continuous diversion of hides for ponmo consumption denies our industries access to quality raw materials, weakens our tanning and leather manufacturing sector, and diminishes Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global leather market.”
He noted that the global leather value chain is estimated at $420 billion to $1 trillion, stressing that Nigeria could significantly increase its market share with the right policies, infrastructure, and a steady supply of hides and skins.
Ikemounso clarified that the campaign was not an attack on cultural or dietary traditions, but a strategic effort to channel hides into productive industrial use for national benefit.
“It is important to clarify that this campaign is not against tradition or personal food preference,” he said. “Rather, it is a strategic intervention to prioritise the industrial use of hides and skins, which holds immense potential for economic growth, job creation, and export diversification.”
Beyond economics, the DG also raised health and nutritional concerns. He noted that ponmo contains little to no nutritional value, consisting mostly of collagen with negligible protein or micronutrients.
More alarming, he warned that many hides processed for consumption are treated with harmful substances including formalin, diesel, and other non-food-grade chemicals posing serious health risks such as organ damage and increased cancer risk.
“From a nutritional perspective, ponmo offers very little value,” he said. “More worrisome is that many hides used for ponmo are subjected to preservation and processing methods involving harmful substances such as formalin and diesel. These pose serious health risks.”
