Zakariya Mohammed, a former prisoner in Gombe State, says he earns N150,000 monthly from making shoes and bags, a business he started five months ago.
Mohammed said he learnt bag and shoemaking skill while serving his jail term at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Billiri, Gombe State.
The skill, he said, empowered him to fend for his needs and that of his family as he rakes in between N5,000 and N7,000 daily depending on patronage.
To Mohammed , the price of a pair of his handmade shoe ranges between N1,000 and N3,000, while the bags go for between N700 and N2,500, depending on its size and quality.
26-year-old Mohammed told the News Agency of Nigeria that he also made money from amending and redesigning shoes, adding that he made good saving from the trade.
“When I was sent to the correctional centre, I became so sad because I thought my life was finished. For some days upon my arrival, I was always thinking and frustrated on how I will spend years in the correctional facility serving my sentence,” he said.
He continued: “Until one day that Mr Christopher Jen, the then Deputy Controller in charge of the facility, approached me and encouraged me to take one of the several skill acquisition programmes of my choice.
“Thank God, I joined and I started learning shoemaking and after completing the training, I moved further to learn how to make bags.
“I spent two years and six months, I was released in June 2023. and opened my shoemaking shop and today I am making my own money.”
Mohammed added that with the support of his family members who were happy with the skill he acquired while in correctional centre, he was able to set up his shoemaking business.
“After my release, my family learnt that I had acquired skill while in correctional centre, so they bought sewing and shoemaking machines and other materials for me to set up my shop.”
