Foreign Investors Show Interest In Made-in-Aba (African) Shoes

UMUAHIA—Fortune may be coming the way of the local artisans manufacturing shoes, bags, belts and other leather products as their product could soon be transformed and compared to international products. This is because some Brazilian investors have shown interest in their products and are planning to make
available to them modern equipment that will improve the quality of their products. The investors were amazed at the quality of the shoes, bags and other products, the Aba leathers were able to produce with their hands and raw equipment and reasoned that with modern equipment, the sky could be their limit. South East Voice learnt that the investors really marveled at one of the shoe makers who produces over 200 shoes daily just with his raw hand and sensed that if such an artisan is provided with equipment, he will do much more. The investors who were conducted round the Leather Cluster of the Ariria International Market, Aba by some aides of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, and officials of the Leather Workers Union, including Lawrence Odoemelem, SSA, Investment Promotions and Elder Emma Ezeala, SSA, Investment Facilitation and Chinedu Nwagu, SSA, Investment Planning and Strategy, showed genuine interest in partnering with the artisans involved in leather works in Aba.