The Federal Government has cautioned that the widespread consumption of ponmo is undermining Nigeria’s multi-billion-dollar leather industry and exposing consumers to health risks.
According to a report from TRIBUNE, the Federal Government has warned that Nigeria’s growing appetite for hides and skins, popularly known as ponmo, poses a serious threat to the country’s multi-billion-dollar leather industry.
The warning was issued by the Director-General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Ikemounso, during the National Campaign Against Ponmo Consumption held on Thursday in Abuja.
Ikemounso said Nigeria’s leather market, valued at $2.79 billion in 2024, could grow to $4.96 billion by 2033 if cowhides are channelled into industrial processing rather than food. “The continuous diversion of hides for ponmo consumption denies our industries access to quality raw materials,” he stated.
He added that ponmo offers “little or no nutritional benefit” and warned that hides treated with toxic chemicals such as formalin and diesel could cause “organ damage and increased risk of cancer.”
The RMRDC chief clarified that the government does not seek to criminalise ponmo consumption but aims to encourage its industrial use to promote economic diversification and public health.