Leather ‘holds so much promise’ for Niger

The Enhanced Integrated Framework tells World Leather how it is working with the government of Niger to modernise tanneries, train leather workers and set up more advanced systems for skin collection and exports.

For women like Zouha Mohammed, learning a new skill offers both a route to financial independence and a means to feed her family. Through a programme of training schemes and support in the landlocked West African country Niger, more women are learning leather craftwork skills that are usually performed by men, and they are flourishing.

Handicrafts, including handmade and artisanal leather items, have their own space for sales in Niamey, Niger. Olivier Girard, EIF

The government of Niger and the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) have been laying the foundations for a more formalised trade in hides and leather and are boosting the leathergoods sector following an assessment that revealed vast opportunities for growth. The Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Assistance for the Least Developed Countries is a global development programme that supports countries to better integrate into the global trading system.

“The leather and hides sector plays an essential role in Niger’s economic and social development,” says Abdou Adamou of EIF in Niger. “The country has an important capacity for processing hides in rural areas and a significant production potential for small ruminants such as goats.”