This was stated in Abuja by Muhammad Yakubu, the director general of the Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST), Zaria.
To save the industry and strengthen the economy of the country, he suggested ending the practice of eating animal skin, which has little nutritional value.
He said that because Ponmo has no nutritional value, Nigerians are the only people in the world who overvalue skin as food.
He added that the current status of the tanneries in Nigeria is due in part to the consumption of animal skin.
“People won’t often find ponmo to purchase and eat if we get our tanneries, footwear, and leather industries in Nigeria running successfully. When completely executed, it would revive the majority of the paralyzed tanneries and increase productivity. Yakubu remarked.
In order to revitalize the industry, Yakubu pleaded with stakeholders to support the law and the national leather policy.
Contrary to claims that Ponmo, also known as cow skin, has little nutritional value, a dietician claims that Ponmo gives the body essential nutrients and makes a sufficient contribution to peoples’ meals. For instance, research indicates that 100g of boiling thick cow skin includes 1.09g of fat, 0.02g of fiber, 6.80g of carbs, 43.9g of water, 46.9g of protein, and 224.65kcal of calories. Additionally, it has trace levels of 6.79 mg of zinc, 36 mg of phosphorus, 4.3 mg of iron, 12 mg of magnesium, and 61 mg of calcium. Collagen, the most prevalent protein in human bodies, is rich in it. However, as we age, our capacity to manufacture collagen declines, which causes wrinkles.
When cooked properly in meals, ponmo is a fantastic weight reduction option that is distinct, has less calories, and tastes good. The majority of Nigerian soups, including egusi soup, ogbono soup, palm oil soup, party stew, edikankong soup, oha soup, and many more, are cooked using this method. Some people eat it as a snack, like peppered ponmo sauce.
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