The second edition of the Lagos Leather Fair recently opened in Nigeria’s commercial capital, attracting various traders, exhibitors and buyers.
The three day exhibition showcases various leather products from bags, shoes, belts, apparel to other fashion accessories.
Lagos Leather Fair is the brain child of Femi Olayebi a designer based in Ibadan.
Femi has been designing hand-crafted leather bags for twenty years now under the brand name, FemiHandbags.
The show was launched in 2017 to create a platform for industry players to promote leather products as well as share ideas and find ways to tackle challenges faced in the business.
About 55 exhibitors displayed their products at this year’s edition.
The fair also included fashion shows, panel discussions and workshops with over 3000 guests attending.
Until the early 90s, Nigeria’s conflict-stricken north was a hub for textiles and leather export firms which were hit by a lack of power, state corruption and cheap imports from China.
There have been some limited Chinese investments in recent years into what is left of Nigeria’s leather and textile industry, but most plants have remained closed since throwing in the towel.
President Muhammadu Buhari hopes to revive the once flourishing industries to end the country’s dependence on oil exports and diversify Africa’s biggest economy.
Femi sources raw materials for her bags from Europe because processors at home prefer to sell to clients who order in bulk, making it difficult for small customers like her to make products using Nigeria’s leather.
Depending on the complexity of the design, it takes between 10 to 50 hours to produce a finished handbag.
The bags sell for between $300 to $800.
