The 8th Edition of All Africa Leather Fair 2015 Officially Opened on February 20, 2015 at Millennium Hall, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Fair was open by Tadesse Haile, State Minister of Industry of Ethiopia. During the opening the State Minister stated the fair will serve as a bridge to create a network between buyers, manufactures and potential investors. The leather industry is one of the top prioritized sectors in the eyes’ of the government as it can create a sectors linkage and because of its high potential for revenue generation, he added.
During the opening ceremony Dr. Mwinyikione Mwinyihija, Executive Director of COMESA Leather and Leather Products Institute, stated that out of the African countries we have, Ethiopia is the only country that has strong policy framework and is one of the leading 20 world countries in the leather sector. Dr. Mwinyihija added that out of the global $USD 3 billion value of the leather industry, Africa is only sharing 2% of it.
COMESA Leather and Leather Products Institute, as a regional leather hub, fully sponsored 12 participants from the private and public sectors from six COMESA/LLPI Member countries to participate in the Fair.