Addis Ababa, — The Africa Leather-based and Leather-based Merchandise Institute (ALLPI) efficiently hosted its Second Breakfast Assembly with Embassy Representatives of the 21 COMESA Member States on eighth April 2025, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The occasion introduced collectively high-level individuals together with Ambassadors, representatives of the African Union, improvement companions, business consultants, and senior authorities officers below the theme of “Harnessing Diplomatic Engagement to Drive Intra-African Commerce and Worth Chain Growth.”
The Visitor of Honour, Yasmin Wohabrebbi, State Minister at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Commerce and Regional Integration, delivered a robust keynote handle that reaffirmed Ethiopia’s strategic dedication to industrialisation, regional integration, and inclusive progress.
She highlighted the “Ethiopia Tamrit” or ‘Made In Ethiopia’ initiative, ongoing investments in industrial parks, city renewal, and the pivotal position of Ethiopian Airways in connecting 133 worldwide and 23 home locations, thereby supporting seamless logistics and commerce throughout Africa.
The assembly additionally featured remarks by Nicholas Mudungwe, Government Director of ALLPI, and a Vote of Thanks by the Chairperson of ALLPI’s Board, Nobby Macharia.
Each underscored the important position of financial diplomacy in unlocking Africa’s industrial potential, selling SME competitiveness, and enhancing girls and youth employment within the leather-based worth chain.
In a particular presentation, ALLPI shared a data-driven evaluation of the potential and misplaced alternatives in Africa’s leather-based sector, demonstrating how the COMESA Leather-based Worth Chain Technique provides sensible options to bridge manufacturing gaps, improve worth addition, and stimulate intra-regional commerce.
As a key milestone, ALLPI formally launched the COMESA Leather-based Worth Chain Technique on 28 March 2025, in Addis Ababa.
The launch was graced by the Secretary Normal of COMESA, Chileshe Kapwepwe, and Dr. Juma Mukhwana, Principal Secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Business, Commerce and Funding, as chief visitors.
Their presence underscored the high-level political and technical dedication to industrial improvement within the area, a ccording to a press assertion issued by ALLPI.
The technique envisions the transformation of the regional leather-based worth chain to ship and commerce in value-added merchandise, positioning Africa as a worldwide participant within the leather-based market.
Developed via a broadly participatory course of, the technique was funded by the European Union below the RECAMP (Regional Enterprise Competitiveness and Entry to Markets Programme).
The assembly additionally included a panel of technical consultants who supplied reflections on essential areas that require consideration to strengthen the efficiency of COMESA and Africa’s leather-based worth chain.
The consultants emphasised the pressing want for harmonized insurance policies and high quality requirements throughout Member States, strengthening regional logistics and customs integration to scale back transport prices and delays amongst different key points.
The panel additionally referred to as for a extra structured collaboration with diplomatic missions to behave as catalysts for funding facilitation, commerce missions, and business-to-business matchmaking.
In closing, the assembly reaffirmed the dedication of COMESA Member States and diplomatic missions to work with ALLPI in constructing a resilient, inclusive, and aggressive leather-based sector–one that drives worth addition, empowers native producers, and serves as a mannequin for broader industrial improvement throughout Africa.
