Africa Organization for Standardization (ARSO) paid courtesy visit to ALLPI Headquarters on Friday March 3, 2023.

The ARSO delegates who were led by the Technical Director Mr. Rueben Gisore, have discussed several issues with ALLPI Experts Team members led by its Acting Executive Director Mr. Ghebregziabher Ghebremedhin. During the Meeting, it was agreed that the two organizations can work together on any activities related to quality & standards, products certification, and awareness creation.

The Secretary-General (SG) of COMESA, Her Excellency Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe visited ALLPI on Friday, 17th February 2023. This was a courtesy call visit to ALLPI, which is one of the COMESA institutions endorsed by the COMESA heads of states, and mandated to facilitate the development of the leather sector in Africa in general and the COMESA region in particular. She was accompanied by the Executive Support Officer in her office, Mrs. Maluba S. Sinyambo and the Chief Resource Mobilization and International Cooperation (Secretary General’s office- International Cooperation Unit).

The purpose of the visit was for her Excellency to get briefings on ALLPI activities towards the leather sector development in the 10 member countries of ALLPI and also identify areas where the COMESA secretariat can provide support.

Starting from 16^th-18th January 2023 Africa Union Commission organized A RECs CEOs retreat, coordination committee and strategic partners exerts meeting in Nairobi, Kenya in which a representative from the Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute by the Name Mr. Kiraye Michael gave a presentation on “Inter-REC cooperation using Leather Sector as a concrete intervention”.

 ALLPI Annual Consultative Forum 2022 which was conducted in Kampala, Uganda during 13 - 15 December 2022.

A Small and Medium Enterprises service providing center established at Kamenge Artisans Production Center was launched by H.E. Madam Marie Chantal Nijembre, Minister of Commerce, Transport, Industry and Tourism on the 4^th of November 2022. In the Launching ceremony, ALLPI delegation composed of Mr. Ghebregziabher Ghebremedhin programmes Coordinator and Professor Mekonnen Hailemariam Advisor to the Executive Director attended the launching ceremony following the invitation of the honorable Minister Madam Marie Chantal Nijembre.

H.E. in her speech hailed the establishment of the center which is expected to contribute to the transformation process of the leather sector in Burundi. She reiterated government’s commitment to support the leather sector in general and in making the incubation center workable in particular. She gave her guidance on how the incubation center will be managed.  She commended ALLPI’s support to the leather sector in Burundi citing the facilitation of the establishment of the Kamenge Incubation center as one of the collaborations between Burundi and the ALLPI. She thanked ALLPI for all the support to the leather sector in general and coming to attend the launching of the incubation center in particular. She assured the delegates that her ministry will work to strengthen further the partnership with the ALLPI. Further she assured that the government of Burundi will honor its commitment to ALLPI.

Africa Leather & Leather Products Institute (ALLPI) conducted a successful mission to the Republic of Sudan 23 – 28 October 2022.

The aim of the mission was to discuss on how to further strengthen the collaborations between the leather value chain stakeholders of Sudan and the ALLPI so that to enhance the process of transformation of the leather sector in Sudan. The mission was planned and implemented in collaboration with the Sudan COMESA coordinating unit of the Ministry of Trade and Supplies.

The ALLPI delegates in its four days mission conducted fruitful meetings with different stakeholders in the Sudanese Leather Value Chain:
The first meeting was conducted between the representatives of the Ministry of Trade & Supplies and the ALLPI in which delegates the discussion concentrated on bilateral issues concerning ALLPI’s intervention in the value chain and Sudan’s assessed contribution were thoroughly discussed.  In the meeting the Ministry expressed its satisfaction with collaborative activities and affirmed Sudan’s commitment to its membership and confirmed its commitment to fulfill its obligations.