Nigeria and Spain are exploring opportunities for collaboration in the footwear manufacturing industry, with discussions focusing on technology transfer, skills development and improved production capacity for Nigerian manufacturers. The initiative followed a meeting between Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, and key players in Spain’s footwear industry in……
Nigeria and Spain are exploring opportunities for collaboration in the footwear manufacturing industry, with discussions focusing on technology transfer, skills development and improved production capacity for Nigerian manufacturers.
The initiative followed a meeting between Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, and key players in Spain’s footwear industry in Alicante Province on Monday, November 2, 2026.
According to a statement issued by the Embassy of Nigeria in Madrid, Ikpeazu met with the President of the Valencian Association of Footwear Manufacturers Entrepreneurs (AVECAL), Vicente Pastor Perez, alongside representatives of footwear companies Pikolinos and Hispanitas and the INESCOP Footwear Technology Centre.
During the engagements, the Ambassador highlighted the ingenuity of Nigerian entrepreneurs, noting that they had continued to produce different categories of footwear manually despite limited access to advanced technology.
He also expressed the Embassy’s readiness to facilitate partnerships between Nigerian manufacturers and their Spanish counterparts.
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The statement reads in part: “Ambassador Ikpeazu underscored the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of Nigerians, which has translated into producing different categories of footwear manually with limited technological expertise.
“He also asserted that the Embassy is willing to facilitate a meeting between interested Nigerian entrepreneurs and their Spanish counterparts to foster collaborations and business-to-business matchmaking.”
At INESCOP, a footwear technology and innovation centre in Elda, Alicante, the Ambassador was received by the Director of Technologies and Materials, Elena Orgilés Calpena, who conducted him around the facility to showcase its technological capabilities.
The centre works with more than 400 member companies across different countries to advance footwear design, materials and manufacturing processes.
Discussions with its management focused on technical cooperation, innovation, quality standards and capacity-building programmes that could be adapted to Nigeria’s footwear industry.
The statement said the meeting explored ways to strengthen the skills of Nigerian technicians, companies and support organisations through “training, technology transfer, quality management, certification and innovation, with a focus on sustainability and improved productivity.”
At separate engagements with AVECAL, Pikolinos and Hispanitas, discussions centred on industry best practices, production processes, knowledge-sharing and possible partnerships to help Nigerian footwear manufacturers modernise their operations and expand their market reach.
The President of AVECAL also assured the Ambassador of the association’s willingness to work with the Nigerian Embassy to establish modalities for engagement between Spanish businesses and Nigerian entrepreneurs.
According to the statement, “The President of AVECAL assured the Ambassador that the association is willing to partner with the Embassy to ensure that the necessary modalities are put in place to facilitate easy engagement between Spanish businessmen and their Nigerian counterparts.”
Ikpeazu also visited Hispanitas’ facilities and the headquarters of AVECAL as part of efforts to strengthen business relations between manufacturers in both countries.
The Embassy said the visit provided the Ambassador and accompanying officials with first-hand exposure to contemporary Spanish footwear designs, manufacturing techniques and operational standards, while identifying technologies and training models relevant to Nigeria’s footwear sector.
The statement added that the Ambassador emphasised the importance of closer collaboration with Spain’s established footwear cluster in the Valencia region, particularly Alicante, to upgrade local production capacity, improve product quality and strengthen competitiveness in domestic and international markets.
Spanish industry representatives also expressed readiness to explore practical areas of cooperation, including technical exchanges, training attachments and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
The delegation included the Embassy’s Senior Counsellor, Mr Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, and First Secretary, Mr Likson Dadi.
The visit forms part of the Nigerian Mission’s economic diplomacy efforts to attract foreign investment and establish beneficial partnerships in the manufacturing sector, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing economic reforms.