At a time that the clamor for Made in Nigerian goods is at its crescendo, a Nigerian indigenous footwear company; Yiko Deen Footwear, incorporated in 2016 is taking up the gauntlet and ensuring that capital flight associated with importation of foot wears from countries like Taiwan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, India, Indonesia becomes a thing of the past.
With mass-produced shoes from all over the world flooding the Nigerian market in recent time, there was the need to arrest the trend and this is a challenge that Yiko Deen; an indigenous Made in Nigeria shoe making factory is delicately poised to take on. With a state of the art factory located in Surulere, in the heart of Lagos, the company is set to give the likes of Lennards, Footwear and Accessories Manufacturing and Distribution PLC (FAMAD) a run for their money.
Since its incorporation 2016, YIKO DEEN Foot Wears Limited, with its slogan, Keep Africa Walking, is poised at ensuring that it produces made in Nigeria Shoes that can compete in the global Market at an affordable price. Producing quality footwears for Oil companies, factories, Military and paramilitary organisations. This is their own way of contributing their quota to developing the economy and boosting the efficiency and overall productivity of these entities.
The company boasts of a capacity of 1000 pairs per day. The factory, which is located at Surulere and built to the best acceptable international standard has produced boots for Nigerian Army, Nigerian Police, Back To School shoes for numerous nursery, primary, and secondary schools; industrial safety shoes for construction and oil & gas companies; and combat/jungle boots & service shoes for the military and paramilitary institutions.
Just this year, the company has manufactured and supplied over 6,000 of pairs of shoes and boots to the Nigeria police and over 2000 pairs of children school shoes and much more. The passion that the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Atunde Shamsideen Olayinka has for his trade is palpable and this he said the goal that drives the company; to produce valuable and comfortable footwear at an affordable price.
According to him most of our designs are signature designs. The level of our creativity will always keep us ahead of our competitors while we don joke with the training of our staffs. They are all experienced and they got the best training, so with that, our handmade shoes are one of the best products in Nigeria.
He also revealed that the raw materials used by the company are sourced locally giving their products the indigenous feel. Among their achievements in the shoe-manufacturing sector was the huge success in bringing back the glamour of uniformity in school dressing code, as regards quality guaranteed leather shoes for numerous schools across the country.
The recognition and awards have also been rolling in. He revealed that Yiko Deen Footwear designs were exhibited at the Micam shoe festival at Milan, early last year having the opportunity to be showcased alongside designs made by renowned brands like Gucci. Yikodeen Footwear Limited also designs and manufactures a variety of trendy, stylish shoes for general use.
Within the last seven months, the company has introduced a number of interventions to recalibrate the footwear industry in order to allow it to become a major contributor in the country economy in terms of employment and earnings. In 2016, they produced quality footwears for Nigeria Police, Nigeria Army and Oil companies.
Much of the work has been concentrated in strengthening the local shoe industry based in Lagos, although other areas like Abia and Onitsha which have a small stake in the shoe-making industry have benefited, in smaller measure though. In their strife to acheive their vision of having a shoe made by Yikodeen Footwear Limited in every home in African, they have begun with West Africa by producing and supplying Oil companies in Serria Leone with 1000 pairs of safety boots this year.
Companies like Yikodeen Footwears Limited, that have championed the course of boosting the country’s economy and reducing unemployment in a time like this where the country is in dying need of indigenous production and manufacturing should be encouraged for its prospects and laudable achievement within its short time of operation.
