While statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed there were no fewer than 18 million unemployed Nigerians as of the third quarter of 2017, Benjamin Daniel, a cobbler, says he smiles to the bank with about N300,000 monthly.
Daniel, who makes footwears in Manchok, Kaura local government area of Kaduna state, says shoemaking and repairs is a “gold mine for job creation”.
Daniel said he has been in the business for 12 years, disclosing that it took him over four years to learn the trade.
He said with N10,000 daily, it was possible for a committed cobbler to earn about N260,000 monthly.
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“I make an average of N10,000 daily from selling all kinds of footwears that I make ranging from N700 to N6,000, which takes me a day or two to finish, depending on the kind of footwear,” Daniel told NAN.
“This is in addition to an average of seven to 10 foot wears brought to my shop daily for repairs, which cost between N200 and N1,000.
“All in all, I am smiling to the bank with about N300,000 monthly. This is more than what most civil servants get as monthly salary.”
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According to Daniel, the trade, if well tapped, can take thousands of idle youths off the streets.
“The country’s huge population is a ready market with enough space for millions of youths to tap from the lucrative trade,’’ he said.
“I started making footwear in 2005, from just making a pair, sell and reinvest the money.
“Gradually I raised money to rent a shop and slowly increase my production from a pair to two.
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“I kept growing slowly, and now I produced an average of 10 different foot wears daily and so far trained four youths who have set up their own businesses and are making huge money.”
Daniel urged the federal and state governments to partner with the organised footwear producers to train thousands of unemployed youths in the country.
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