COMESA/LLPI, as part of its strategic activity of promoting productivity, competitiveness, trade and regional integration in the leather industry, participated in the Nairobi International Trade Fair by fully sponsoring 3 leather footwear Cluster/SMEs to showcase their products at the Trade Fair held at Jamhuri showground from September 30 to October 6, 2013.
The Trade Fair was officially opened by His Excellency Hon. UHURU KENYATTA, C.G.H., President and Commander in Chief of the Defense Forces of the Republic of Kenya. The president in his opening speech indicated that the Trade Fair has certainly grown in stature, improved its standard and become a world-class agriculture and trade exposition. He said “it, therefore, affords an opportunity for all agri-business actors to interact and be empowered.
A lot of learning will take place at this event, and everyone will benefit from the opportunities produced by stakeholder contact and exchange of knowledge. I invite all our international exhibitors and visitors to feel at home and enjoy Kenyan hospitality as they go about their business at this Trade Fair”.
The theme for this year’s show was “Enhancing Technology and Industry for Food Security and National Growth”. According to organizers Agricultural Society of Kenya, foreign countries in attendance included Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Malawi, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, China, Indonesia, Mauritius, India, Turkey and Pakistan. Five hundred exhibitors attended this year’s Fair compared to only 290 exhibitors last year. Eighteen of the international exhibitors were participating for the first time. The enterprises sponsored by COMESA-LLPI were EIFCCOS (Cluster Cooperative in the leather footwear with 1080 member SMEs), Bermero and Elisabeth and Tadele Share company (both non cluster based SMEs)
COMESA-Leather and Leather Products Institute (COMESA-LLPI) was represented by one of its Experts, Dr.Mekonnen Hailemariam, Leather Value Chain Information Expert.
