Policy Deep Dive: 'Ponmo' Consumption Threatens Sustainable Growth in Nigeria's Hides and Skins Subsector

The Federal Government of Nigeria is signaling a critical policy intervention concerning the utilization of hides and skins, which are central to both the domestic food chain and the globally competitive leather goods manufacturing sector.

The official position is unequivocal, the continued culinary preference for 'ponmo' is directly posing a serious threat to the current valuation and future expansion of Nigeria's leather industry, which has been assessed at approximately $5 billion. 

This conflict highlights a deep-seated economic dilemma within the meat processing subsector.

Animal hides are classified as a premium input for the tannery industry, producing finished leather used in footwear, apparel, and automotive upholstery. 

When these hides are directed toward 'ponmo' production, they are being used for a low-value, non-exportable product, resulting in a substantial opportunity cost for the national economy.

The government's focus is now on developing strategies potentially including regulatory changes or incentivization programs to redirect hides from consumption back to the manufacturing pipeline, safeguarding the long-term economic stability promised by the Nigerian leather industry.