With NCDMB’s support, Yikodeen’s safety footwear expansion signals Nigeria’s industrial rise

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has vowed to champion the adoption of Yikodeen Company Limited’s world-class safety boots across Nigeria’s industries.

Yikodeen launched its upgraded 120,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Ejigbo, Lagos, on Tuesday, with a capacity to produce 5,000 pairs of safety boots daily.

Representing NCDMB’s Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele called the event a pivotal step in advancing local content in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector and other industries.

“Yikodeen represents the core of NCDMB’s mission to develop and promote Nigerian-made products,” Bamidele said, pledging the Board’s support to ensure the boots, which meet global standards, are widely used.

Advertisement

He referenced the Federal Government’s ‘Nigeria First’ policy, which mandates that safety footwear purchased with public funds be locally produced, offering Yikodeen a prime opportunity.

Bamidele lauded the founder’s vision, noting, “From a small start in 2016, this entrepreneur has built a billion-naira enterprise, inspiring young Nigerians to embrace innovation.”

Representing Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Commissioner for Commerce, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, praised Yikodeen as a cornerstone of Lagos’ industrial goals. “Growing from a small workshop to West Africa’s largest footwear manufacturer, Yikodeen supports our plan to boost manufacturing’s GDP share to 15% by 2030,” she said, highlighting its role in job creation and import reduction.

Yikodeen’s CEO, Mr. Atunde Shamsideen, recounted starting with 20 pairs of shoes in 2015, now producing over 2,000 daily to ISO, ASTM, and Nigerian standards.

He thanked NCDMB for facilitating partnerships with oil and gas giants like Saipem and Daewoo. “With only 2% of Nigeria’s safety boots made locally, enforcing local procurement could generate over 35,000 jobs,” he said.

The company’s ecosystem empowers women in recycling and trains 1,000 people yearly. “Supporting Made-in-Nigeria products builds livelihoods and national pride,” Shamsideen added.

Mrs. Teresa Ojomo, representing Standards Organisation of Nigeria’s Director General, Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, commended Yikodeen’s compliance with standards like NIS ISO 20346:2004 and ISO 20345:2022. “This facility shows Nigeria’s manufacturing can lead globally,” she said.

Chief Brown Mene, representing the Olu of Warri, HRM Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, hailed Yikodeen as a symbol of Nigeria’s potential, urging global expansion. “This is a vision that will shine brightly,” he said.