Every new year, many young Nigerians ask how they can survive, grow, and change their lives, and that question is increasingly about finding viable businesses and skills rather than just jobs.

One sector often overlooked is leather, linking hides and skins from the North to fashion, manufacturing, and export markets. 

On Nigeria Daily, we examine whether the leather industry can realistically absorb youth unemployment and what it truly takes to succeed in it in 2026 beyond the hype.