The Global Journey Of Ponmo: How Imported Cow Skin Fuels Jobs & Business In Nigeria

By TINA TOLUTOPE

From a Familiar Delicacy to a Cross-Border Business

FOR millions of Nigerians, ponmo is simply a familiar part of everyday food culture. It is added to soups and stews, served in peppered portions by roadside vendors and sold in markets across the country.

Yet behind the small pieces that eventually arrive on the dining table is an increasingly complex commercial system involving international suppliers, importers, depot operators, processors, transporters, traders and apprentices.

In Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, that system has developed into a significant local economy.

The town, long associated with the processing and sale of cow skin, has become part of a supply chain that stretches beyond Nigeria’s borders to countries including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and, according to traders, Brazil.

At the centre of the trade are large consignments of raw cow skin imported into Nigeria, transported from Lagos and distributed to depots and processing centres.

For operators in the business, the figures involved demonstrate that ponmo is far more than a roadside delicacy. It is a commodity supporting a substantial network of livelihoods.

The ₦80 Million Container

At one of the cow skin depots in Ijebu-Igbo, manager Joseph Omogbolahan said a single container of imported cow skin could be worth approximately ₦80 million.

On the day of a visit to the facility, workers were offloading what he described as the depot’s second container for the week.

At other periods, he said, as many as three containers could arrive within a week, potentially placing the value of the consignments handled by the depot at about ₦240 million.

The business, however, does not operate at the same pace throughout the year.

Periods of scarcity can interrupt supplies, sometimes leaving traders waiting for weeks before another container arrives. Delays at ports, transportation problems and changes in supply conditions can all affect the movement of the product.

Nevertheless, the scale of the consignments illustrates the commercial transformation of a food product often regarded simply as an inexpensive addition to Nigerian meals.

The cow skin market has become increasingly international.

From Northern Nigeria to East Africa

Omogbolahan’s personal experience reflects the wider evolution of the industry.

He said he grew up watching his mother transport cow skin from Maiduguri in northern Nigeria to markets in southern Nigeria.

Over time, however, the business began to depend increasingly on foreign sources.

Today, operators in Ijebu-Igbo handle consignments sourced from several countries.

“This one is from Tanzania, while some are from Kenya,” Omogbolahan said, pointing to different batches at the depot.

He also identified Uganda and Brazil among the countries supplying cow skin to traders in the business.

The development represents a significant shift in Nigeria’s ponmo economy.

What was once supplied largely through domestic livestock networks is now increasingly supported by international trade.

For traders, the shift is not necessarily a matter of preference.

Rather, some operators say inadequate domestic supply has made foreign sourcing necessary to sustain demand.

One of the prominent traders in Ijebu-Igbo, identified as Iya Alia, said local supply shortages had forced merchants to search for cow skin outside Nigeria.

The result is an unusual example of globalisation operating through a deeply traditional Nigerian food market.

Lagos, Ijebu-Igbo & the Supply Chain

Imported consignments typically arrive through Lagos, which serves as a major entry and distribution point.

From there, the cow skin is transported to Ijebu-Igbo and other commercial centres.

At the depot level, workers unload the products and sort them according to weight and size.

The skins are weighed in kilogrammes and arranged in different categories. A batch may contain 90, 95 or 100 pieces, depending on the size and weight of the individual skins.

Years of experience have also created specialised skills within the trade.

According to Omogbolahan, experienced workers can often estimate the weight of a cow skin before it is placed on a scale.

That knowledge, developed through years of handling the product, has become part of the informal technical expertise supporting the industry.

The business therefore relies not only on imported products and capital but also on human skills developed through apprenticeship and experience.

A Trade Built on Workers & Apprentices

The economic impact of the ponmo trade extends well beyond depot owners.

At Omogbolahan’s operation, workers participate in unloading, weighing and sorting consignments.

He said approximately 15 workers operate directly under his supervision, while about 14 apprentices are also learning different aspects of the business.

Other workers participate at different stages of the wider supply chain.

Transporters move consignments. Processors burn, cook and cut the skins. Traders sell the finished products, while vendors take them into neighbourhoods and roadside markets.

For many participants, the trade offers an alternative source of income in an economy where formal employment remains difficult to secure.

Apprenticeship also remains an important part of the system.

Omogbolahan said apprentices are paid while learning.

The arrangement allows workers to acquire commercial experience while earning an income and, potentially, preparing to establish independent businesses in the future.

The ponmo industry, in that sense, reflects the continuing importance of traditional apprenticeship structures in Nigeria’s informal economy.

Education Meets Traditional Enterprise

Omogbolahan’s background also challenges assumptions about the relationship between formal education and traditional commerce.

A graduate of Business Administration from Olabisi Onabanjo University, he returned to the family business after completing his education.

Rather than viewing the two experiences as contradictory, he has combined formal education with knowledge acquired through years of exposure to the trade.

His journey illustrates a wider reality within Nigeria’s economy.

Traditional businesses are increasingly being managed by younger and formally educated Nigerians who bring new organisational approaches into industries built around family networks and apprenticeship.

The changing nature of the ponmo trade is also evident in marketing.

Some processors and traders now use social media platforms to promote their products and reach customers beyond their immediate communities.

From Raw Skin to Nigerian Kitchens

The imported cow skin arriving at the depot is not yet the ponmo consumed by Nigerians.

After purchasing the raw product, buyers take it to processing centres commonly known locally as bukas.

There, the skins pass through several stages.

They are burned, cooked, cut and soaked.

Preservation is another important part of the process.

According to processor Mrs. Adeniyi Omobolanle, some operators sun-dry cow skin, while others use ovens to remove moisture.

The drying process transforms the product into the hard, dark form commonly sold in markets.

Before cooking, consumers soak the dried product to soften it.

Each stage creates another layer of economic activity.

Workers are needed for processing, cutting, drying, packaging and distribution.

The value of the original raw material therefore increases as it moves through the supply chain.

Questions Over Processing & Safety

The processing of cow skin has also generated recurring public concerns.

For years, allegations have circulated that some processors use discarded tyres to burn cow skin, raising questions about possible health consequences.

At the Ijebu-Igbo operation, however, Omogbolahan rejected the suggestion that tyres were used in the processing environment connected to his depot.

He said processors in the area use firewood.

According to him, trucks regularly supply firewood for the burning process.

The depot itself does not carry out the burning.

Its role is to sell raw cow skin to buyers, who then take the product to separate processing centres.

The account establishes what the operators interviewed said occurs within their own business environment. It does not, however, establish the processing practices of every ponmo producer in Ijebu-Igbo or elsewhere in Nigeria.

That distinction remains important.

Broader questions about food safety, hygiene and processing standards continue to require attention across the industry.

Digital Marketing & an Emerging Export Market

The ponmo trade is also beginning to develop new commercial dimensions.

Omobolanle, popularly known as Madam Bola, said she sells processed cow skin to customers abroad.

Although she did not specify the countries involved or the volume of exports, her account suggests that Nigerian ponmo is finding customers beyond the domestic market.

Social media has supported that expansion.

Platforms such as TikTok now allow traders to display products to audiences outside their immediate communities.

A business that once depended primarily on physical markets can now use digital platforms to attract customers across cities and potentially across national borders.

The supply chain has therefore developed an unusual circular structure.

Raw cow skin enters Nigeria from foreign countries.

It is processed by Nigerian businesses and then consumed locally or, in some cases, marketed to customers abroad.

The Risks Behind the Profits

The large value of the trade also means large risks.

Omogbolahan said some consignments are damaged during transportation.

A leaking container, for example, can allow water to enter and spoil part of a shipment before it reaches its final destination.

Port delays also create financial pressure.

According to him, some consignments remain at ports for two or three months before clearance, while charges continue to accumulate.

For goods valued at tens of millions of naira, delays and spoilage can produce significant losses.

Credit sales create another challenge.

Traders sometimes sell products to customers who do not immediately pay.

This leaves operators managing substantial amounts of unpaid debt while still needing capital to finance the next consignment.

The business therefore requires more than knowledge of cow skin.

It also demands cash-flow management, market knowledge and the ability to survive disruptions.

A Traditional Food in a Modern Economy

The story of ponmo in Ijebu-Igbo is ultimately a story of adaptation.

A business rooted in family tradition and local apprenticeship has become increasingly connected to international trade.

Supplies once moved mainly from northern Nigeria to southern markets.

Today, consignments may travel from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and other countries before reaching Ogun State.

Graduates manage family businesses. Apprentices learn alongside paid workers. Processors use ovens for preservation. Traders use social media to reach customers.

Behind the familiar chewy texture of ponmo lies a vast commercial system.

For consumers, it may remain an ordinary food item.

For the people working in Ijebu-Igbo, however, every piece represents international sourcing, importation, logistics, labour, processing and entrepreneurship.

From an ₦80 million container to a small peppered portion sold by the roadside, Nigeria’s ponmo trade reveals how a traditional delicacy has become part of a much larger economy.