In Lagos, football often dominates conversation, but on Saturday, another kind of craft took centre stage with leather works. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu inaugurated the Oluremi Tinubu Leather Hub in Mushin, a sprawling industrial facility designed to create 10,000 jobs and drive more than $250 million in annual exports.
Named after Nigeria’s First Lady, who cut the ribbon during her official visit, the hub reflects not just economic ambition but also the politics of symbolism: honouring Oluremi Tinubu’s decades-long work in grassroots empowerment and social investment. The decision to reserve 70 per cent of jobs for women and youth ties the factory’s mission to national debates about inclusion, equity, and opportunity.
The project also carries a diplomatic and global dimension. A production of Leather goods, from shoes to bags, to leather, wallets, caps, etc., are staples of international trade and Lagos now aims to position itself as West Africa’s leather capital. By processing hides at home rather than exporting them raw, the state is aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda of economic diversification beyond oil. The hub, as Sanwo-Olu stressed, is not only about exports but also about transforming everyday artisans, cobblers in Mushin and across Lagos suburbs, tanners in Oko-Oba and fashion designers in Yaba into global competitors.
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