Nairobi, Kenya, 5th January 2020 – Leather industry stakeholders from East Africa and the horn of Africa are set to hold a South-South Leather Industry Exchange (SSE) this month on 27 -28th January 2021. The aim of the virtual forum is to facilitate sharing information and best practices in advocacy and to promote establishment of business linkages between leather entrepreneurs and prosperity leather industries in the two regions. The forum is expected to attract participants from 8 countries including Burundi, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.
This initiative is among four key components the Leather Industry Network (LIN) project is undertaking with the aim to foster trade and shape the sector’s regional development agenda. This is to be achieved by utilizing digital networking as a strategic tool in harnessing the potential of private sector leather players. Further the LIN project hopes to capacity build leather associations in East Africa and influence policies that can promote a favorable leather industry framework conditions.
The forum has attracted a wide variety of industry professionals as speakers including:
- Prof. (Dr.) Mwinyikione Mwinyihija, Executive Director, Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI)
- Yassin Awale, Enterprise development specialist and Chief Technical Advisor UNIDO LISEC (Modjo Leather City) Ethiopia
- Dr. Thomas Walter – Team Leader, GFA Consulting
- DR Douglas Onyancha, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology
- Mahmoud Sarg, Chairman of Leather Export Council Egypt
- Ms Mukashyaka Germaine, Chairperson of Leather Value Chain Industry Platform, Rwanda
- Mrs. Beatrice Mwasi, Director – Center for Business Innovation & Training (CBiT)/ Secretary General – Leather Apex Society of Kenya
Over 200 participants have been confirmed to participate in the forum representing players across the entire value chain including: hides & skins recovery equipment & spare-parts suppliers, tannery machinery components and chemicals suppliers, leather-goods manufacturers, footwear manufacturer, hides & skins dealers, development agents, service providers, leather tanners, wholesalers, retailer among others.
Mrs Beatrice Mwasi , Director – Center for Business Innovation & Training (CBiT) commented:
“We are extremely excited to begin the year by bringing together representatives of various leather associations from the region after a difficult year 2020. The forum will provide excellent opportunities for stakeholders to share experiences and learn from each other as well as create linkages between the different players across the region. Above all we expect the forum will encourage sharing of sector information and strengthen advocacy on critical issues affecting stakeholders.”
ABOUT SSE
The South-South Leather Industry Exchange (SSE) is a virtual forum by the Center for Business Innovation & Training (CBiT) led initiative, in collaboration with a consortium of national leather Associations in EAC with the support of GIZ-EAC and GFA Consulting Group, which will be held on 27-28th January 2021 starting at 8.00 AM to 5:00 PM. The forum aims to facilitate sharing information and best practices in advocacy and to promote the establishment of business linkages between leather entrepreneurs and prosperity leather industries in the two regions including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia and Egypt.