Concerns Rise Over NILEST, NARICT Merger

The Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists of Nigeria is concerned about the merger of the Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST) and the National Research Institute For Chemical Technology (NARICT), saying it poses risks to the well-being of stakeholders.

A statement issued by the national president, Dr. Julius Putshaka, said it is imperative to critically evaluate the potential drawbacks associated with the merger of some agencies.
The statement said: “The opposition of the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists of Nigeria to the merger of these agencies stems from concerns about potential loss of specialised professional focus as these institutions have divergent mandates.

“While NILEST is saddled with its mandate of carrying out research and manpower training in the areas of leather and leather products technology producing graduates serving the tanning industries and several units in other government agencies, NARICT on the other hand holds the responsibility of undertaking research in the sourcing of raw materials for the production of chemicals for industrial applications.

“It must be emphasised that NILEST has played pivotal roles in the capacity building of critical sectors in the leather and leather product sector. With functional centres and extension offices spread all over the six geo-political zones of the country, it has served as a driving force for entrepreneurs in the value chain.

“The institute has trained thousands of entrepreneurs and artisans across the country in partnership with different organizations and state governments and is still creating more avenues for such activities.

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“It is worthy of note that also to mention the potential impact of the Institute to generate wealth and foreign exchange for the country through the production of exportable quality finished leather and leather products in it’s major centres located in Sokoto, Kano, and Maiduguri.

“Just like the globally acclaimed Central Leather Institute in India, NILEST also offers technical assistance through training courses on design development, sample making and fabrication, consultancy, preparation of feasibility reports, quality control, among various other activities.”

“We argue that the merger may also lead to confusion in decision-making, and decreased responsiveness to specific issues or inconsistency in implementation of government policies, disruptions to existing services or programs in the leather value chain which is being executed by NILEST.”

The society said with the merger of these institutions, the supposed synergies may be unfavorable to stakeholders, leading to the failure of the promised benefits of such mergers.