Burundi’s Minister for Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Her Excellency Mrs. PELATE NIYONKURU signed the COMESA Leather and Leather Products Institute’s “Instrument of Accession” on September 15, 2015.

It is to be recalled that the government of Burundi, in 2011,  launched “Vision 2025” that represents a road map for Burundi’s sustainable development through accelerated economic growth, and for the reduction of poverty. During the same year the government launched the National Agricultural Investment Programme to streamline its National Agricultural Strategy into programmes that would direct agro-based development and eventually address the root causes of rural poverty.

COMESA/LLPI in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat (COMSec) organized a Workshop on the Establishment of a Regional Design Studio for Leather Footwear and Leather Goods.

The Workshop was held on September 15-16, 2015 at Jupiter International Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

COMESA-Leather and Leather Products Institute organized a retreat workshop to its entire staff from August 28 - 31, 2015 at Haile Resort Ziway, Ethiopia. The objective of the retreat program was to thank the staff for their hard work and appreciable achievements as well as to further strengthen the solid and close work relationship among the staff members.

In order to focus implementation of activities and initiatives to deliver services and achieve its mandate, COMESA/LLPI had developed a Medium Term Strategic Action Plan (2010-2015), which will soon expire in December 2015. The Institute, therefore, was undertaking the development of  Long Term Strategic Plan (2016-2025) to take over from the previous Medium  Term Strategic Action Plan.

COMESA-Leather and Leather Products Institute (COMESA/LLPI) facilitated discussion for a pilot revolving fund scheme for SMEs in leather footwear and leather goods in Kenya was held  at the Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development, Nairobi, Kenya, on August 21, 2015.

Hon. Mr. Adan Mohamed, EBS, Cabinet Secretary for Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development chaired the meeting. Top PTA bank officials, Mr. Admassu Tadesse (CEO and President-PTA Bank) and Ms Patricia Onyango (Senior Project & Infrastructure Finance Department-PTA Bank) were in attendance of the meeting. Participants of that discussion were also drawn from the Ministry of Industrialization, Mr. Korir (Industrialization Secretary), Mr. E.N Kimurt (Director of Industries) and Mr. Rajjev Atora (Board Director , Export Zones Authority and Advisor for Textile Value Chain); Kenya leather Development Council (KLDC) (the Institute responsible for the Development of the Leather sector in Kenya), Mr. Titus Ibui (KLDC Board Chairman) and Mr. Charles Mwangi  (Acting CEO-KLDC) and  COMESA/LLPI (the facilitating institution ), Prof. Mekonnen Hailemariam (Leather Value Chain Expert and Personal Assistant to the Executive Director).

The 9th RLSCT Meeting in concurrence with the 3rd SMEs Technical Committee and 2nd Triple Helix was held at Bronte the Garden Hotel, Harare, Zimbabwe, on 24th and 25th July 2015. It also witnessed the graduation of 40 Trainees who attended the  training course in”  Introduction to Cluster Development Management”  from Zimbabwe, under the sponsorship of RISP-EU of the COMESA Secretariat,  executed and coordinated by COMESA/LLPI in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC) of Zimbabwe.

The COMESA-Leather and Leather Products Institute (COMESA/LLPI) Board of Directors held its 28th ordinary meeting from July 22-23, 2015 at Bronte the Garden Hotel in Harare, Zimbabwe. The Meeting was attended by the Board Members from Ethiopia, Sudan, Zambia and COMESA/LLPI with apologies received from Rwanda and COMESA Secretariat.

The COMESA Secretariat in collaboration with the African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) is holding a two day regional workshop in Lusaka, Zambia for the validation of the COMESA Livestock Policy Framework.
Experts in Livestock agriculture including Directors of Veterinary Services and Directors of Animal Production from COMESA Member States are participating in the workshop.

COMESA/LLPI was represented in the Workshop by it Programmes Coordinator, Mr. Zewdu kebede.

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COMESA/LLPI Sponsored Export-Oriented SMEs to Participate in the Zambia International Trade Fair (ZITF) 2015
Recognizing the importance of Trade Fairs on creating market linkages and experience sharing in the Region, COMESA/LLPI fully sponsored nine Export-Oriented SMEs involved in the leather sector from five COMESA/LLPI Member States to participate in the Zambia International Trade Fair 2015 that was held during July 1- 7, 2015 in Ndola, Zambia.

World Certification Institute (WCI) has appointed Professor Mwinyikione Mwinyihija, the Executive Director of COMESA/LLPI, as the first Ambassador of Africa. Prof. Mwinyihija was conferred the highest credential award this year as a World Certified Master Professional (WCMP) in the field of Leather Technology and Sustainability. He is a renowned academic having four doctorate degrees from reputable universities, such as a PhD from University of Aberdeen (UK), as well as doctorate degrees from Atlantic University (USA), SMC University (Switzerland), and Universidad Central de Nicaragua (Central America). He was awarded fellowships at prestigious institutes, such as World Certification Institute, Council of Science, Institute of Biology, Chartered Institute of Water and Environment, and Chartered Management Institute.

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