COMESA-Leather and Leather Products Institute’s Expert Team led by its Executive Director, Prof. M. Mwinyihija and composed of Prof. Mekonnen Hailemariam, Institutional Capacity Development and Consultancy Expert and Mr. Harrison Mungai Leather Value Chain and Tannery Expert, conducted mission to Mauritius from October 1 to 7 ,2017 to undertake situational analysis of the leather sector, identify Mauritius competitiveness and its comparative advantage in the leather sector, identify key stakeholders of the leather value chain and analyze their interlinkage towards the development of the sector; assess the operational status of SMEs both in leather processing, footwear and garments and evaluate Market dynamics in local, regional and global trade.

The Expert Team started its activities by an introductory meeting held at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Consumer protection. Participants of the discussion were officials from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection (Industry Division); Small & Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA); Ministry of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration Division.

Regional Training Workshop in Leather Products Design, Craftsmanship and Export Readiness was Conducted on 22nd - 30th September 2017 in Kampala, Uganda.

The objectives of the Workshop were to: present and validate the world class curriculum for improving export competitiveness of SMEs, one-to-one meetings between trainers and SMEs to be trained and train SMEs based on the validated curriculum.

Prof. Mwinyihija, Executive Director of COMESA/LLPI confidently mentioned that after conducting the first SMEs Meeting in 2014 in Syavonga, Zambia, SMEs are growing in the production and marketing of leather and leather products.

The training course in “Basic Footwear Designing and Finishing” to SMEs in Rwanda was officially opened on the 11th September 2017 by Madam Mukashyaka Germaine who is the Chairperson of Leather Value Chain Industry Platform. The Executive Director of COMESA Leather and Leather Products Institute (LLPI) Prof. Dr. Mwinyihija was represented in the event by Mr. Harrison Mungai who conveyed his greetings and thereafter highlighted LLPI Vision, Mission and the Institute’s Mandate.
In presence during the official opening ceremony were:

• Mr. Habumugisha Michel who is the President of Rwanda Association for Promotion of Leather and Leather Products (RAPROLEP);
• Dr. Osinniel, a representative of Ministry of Trade and Industry;
• Mr. Kagango Diogeune, Director of Masaka Business Incubation Centre;
• Two Footwear Training Experts from Kenya and Uganda contracted by LLPI.

The Team of Experts of COMESA/LLPI led by Executive Director went to Khartoum Sudan from 16th to 24th August 2017.

The objective of the visit was to streamline the leather development activities of COMESA/LLPI with different public, private and academia organizations.

The Mission undertook MoU signing with different Government Organizations, made visit to Kerari Vocational and Entrepreneurship Center, Visited Incubation Center of Sudan Science and Technology University, conducted Cluster and Incubation Management Training Workshop, facilitated and sponsored the Khartoum Leather Fair.

COMESA/LLPI is proud to announce that it joined the Intra Commonwealth SMEs Association (ICSA) Advisory Board as memebr since August 2017.
The objective of ICSA is to provide a sustainable platform for exporters and importers to regularly meet, build awareness of existing global standards as well as to encourage regional and extra regional investments in areas where the countries have competitiveness but lacks capacity. The association will be beneficial for the Commonwealth nations more particularly the LDCs, as it will enable firms to source their inputs more competitively while it will help LDCs to improve their supply capacities as well as diversify their export baskets. In other words, the association will help in enhancing and diversifying the exports of Commonwealth countries.

A training course in Basic Footwear and Leather Goods Making to SMEs was held from August 13 to 20 2017 in Djibouti at Lycee Industriel and Commercial Institute. The training was organized, under the COMESA-RISM Program financial support, by COMESA-Leather and Leather Products Institute in collaboration with the Ministère Délégué Chargé du Commerce, des PME, du Tourisme et de la Formalisation.

Prof. (Dr.4) M. Mwinyihija, Executive Director of COMESA/LLPI has been awarded a Higher Education Academy for Fellow Status.

The Award was given for the greatest achievement he registered in Academic research activities and engagement to Higher Education. Prof. Mwinyihija is known to be transforming the African leather sector through the Public, Private and Academia (Triple Helix Approach) that links the industrial development agenda and national policy and strategies with research and development; and developing Curricula for university, tertiary level and at institutional level. This initiative covers Postgraduates at Doctoral, Masters and BSc levels and also covers SMEs training to develop diagnostics towards industrialization in Africa.

This recognition is not only for himself; rather it is for LLPI and for the African leather sector at large. The Higher Education Academy (HEA) is an independent non-profit organisation committed to world-class teaching in higher education. HEA works in partnership with institutions and individuals in higher education supporting student success. The Higher Education Academy brings the sector together to collaborate, and share teaching strategies and practice.

The COMESA/LLPI family congratulates Prof. Mwinyihija for his wonderful achievement that will in turn enhance regional development.

The first Training Workshop under the project entitled “Structured Design Training for Regional Leather and Leather Products SMEs in Leather Products Design, Craftsmanship and Export” was held from 19 to 21 July 2017 in Kampala, Uganda. This Training workshop was organized by COMESA/LLPI in collaboration with the USAID - East African Trade and Investment Hub (EATIH). Over 20 participants attended the Training Workshop, who came from 11 countries of the region, namely Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The objectives of the workshop were to enhance the Focal Points’ appreciation of the scope of the Eastern Africa Hub project and its relationship with the Reginal Designers’ Studio; to capacitate Focal Points to apply the SMEs Selection Criteria and the administration of the Profiling Instrument; to enhance the Focal Point technical capacity to evaluate samples of leather footwear and products; and to identify and prioritize specific activities in the implementation of the Regional Designers Studio Project.

The Training Workshop was officially opened by the Executive Director of COMESA/LLPI. Prof. M. Mwinyihija and Director, Investment, East Africa Trade and Investment Hub, Mrs. Kanini Mutooni.

Presentations were delivered on the objectives and scope of the Hub Project and the Regional Designers Studio and the Selection Criteria and Profiling Instruments by Mr. Nicolas Mudungwe, Programs Coordinator, COMESA/LLPI.

Technical presentations on the Defects Identification Methodology were made on Leather Footwear and Leather Goods, respectively. by Mr. Feraw Kebede and Mr. Moses Mwangi who are renown experts in the Region.

Participants in Group works conducted Practical Evaluation of samples based on the Defect Analysis Methodology and this was further discussed in Plenary sessions.

The Training Workshop was concluded with the identification of priority interventions that should be implemented under the Flagship Regional Designers Studio Program; agreeing to initiate and implement activities virtually in the short to medium term and by allocation of tasks and timelines for the identified broad activities.

The Training Workshop Evaluation summary provided an account of participants’ views on various aspects of the Training Workshop. Overall, the Training Workshop was rated as good or excellent by all (100%) of the participants.

Following COMESA/LLPI’s wining to host the IULTCS 2021 Congress, the first Organizing Committee Meeting kicked-off on 26th July 2017 at LLPI’s Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Congress is to be organized in collaboration with the Ethiopian Government, Technology Universities, Private Sector Associations, and Professional Associations. The Meeting was officially opened by Prof. Mwinyihija, Executive Director of COMESA/LLPI.

The objective of the Meeting was to formulate and structure different components of the Organizing Committee that will realize the successfulness of the event. The Meeting elected Congress President and Organizing Committee Chairperson. The Meeting also structured the following five committees and assigned the respective Chairs:

• Technical Committee
• Fundraising Committee
• Administrative Committee
• Communication Committee, and
• Mini-Exhibition Committee

Prof. Mwinyihija appreciated Government, University, and Association representatives from for their due attention to successfully organize the IULTCS 2021 Congress which is of the first of its kind in Africa.

As part of strengthening and promoting research and development projects focusing on the leather sector, COMESA-Leather and Leather Products Institute (COMESA/LLPI) organized a one-day meeting for academic colleagues from Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe, on 21st July, 2017 at Hotel African, Kampala, Uganda.

The meeting was organized to explore ways and means to facilitate and strengthen Joint Research and Networking as well as to further enhance COMESA/LLPI’s Capacity to Share Best Practices.

The Executive Director of COMESA/LLPI, Prof. Mwinyihija, opened the meeting by welcoming participants and giving a brief talk on LLPI’s endeavors to strengthen research activities for the development of the leather sector in the COMESA region. This was followed by presentations made by Dr. Douglas Onyancha from Dedan Kimathi University of Technology of Kenya, Mrs. Diana Nitamu from Makerere University Business School, Uganda and Prof Londiwe Nkiwane from National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Zimbabwe, respectively, on the following three project areas:

• Identifying the Determinants of the Leather Technology Adoption in Artisan/SMEs Involved in the Leather Footwear and Leather Goods Manufacturing in Kenya; 
• The Supply and Demand Implications on the Restriction on Exports of Hides and Skins and Potential Impact on Imports of Second Hand Footwear Ban in East Africa; and 
• Leather Products and their Accessories – Formation of a Business Incubation Centre at National University of Science and Technology (NUST).

The presentations were followed by discussions that allowed to appreciate the current status of the research activities of the three projects and make recommendations on the way forward and resource mobilization for the three projects. Participants agreed to come up with tangible results and make next progress report during the 11th Consultative forum that will be held in Livingstone, Zambia in December 2017.