Abuja Shoemakers
Cooperative Society has appealed to the federal government to establish a shoemaking school in the country.
Chairman of the group, Mr Umar Udandoma, who made the appeal while speaking with newsmen in Abuja  said the art of shoemaking in Nigeria has come a long way.
He said that when established, such school would provide conducive environment for youths to learn shoemaking and repairs , adding that this would further reduce crime and create employment among the youths.
Udandoma, who had 19 years experience as a shoemaker, also said that the challenges facing the society included lack of support and infrastructure from FCT authorities.
He said “our greatest problem is congestion and lack of adequate work space. The shoes are exposed to bad weather due to lack of space and this has affected the quality and production of new shoes.
The cooperative society chairman also explained that the group is also experiencing some difficulty in the area of electricity supply, which he said need to be tackled.
Udandoma, therefore, called for improvement in the production of leather to boost their work, pointing out that leather production is the main stay of shoe making.
According to him, an individual could produce between five and 10 pairs of shoes daily, depending on the type and quality, adding that such art could be improved by establishing a shoemaking school that will train professional for greater productivity.