EABC, ALLPI partner to revive leather sector

ARUSHA: THE East African Business Council (EABC) and the Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI) have signed an agreement to revitalise the leather sector and boost its competitiveness across the East African Community (EAC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) regions.

The partnership seeks to harmonise policies, strengthen value addition and unlock intra-African trade opportunities in a sector long constrained by low industrialisation and export of raw hides.

The MoU, signed by the Acting Executive Director of EABC Mr Adrian Njau and the Executive Director of ALLPI Mr Nicholas Mudungwe, establishes a framework for cooperation aimed at enhancing policy advocacy, investment promotion, research, capacity building and information exchange to boost the competitiveness of the regional leather industry.

“By aligning regional value chains with the AfCFTA framework, the deal positions East Africa to tap into Africa’s 4 billion US dollars’ leather market, create jobs, promote sustainable manufacturing and reduce dependence on imported leather goods,” said Mr Njau.

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He emphasised that the partnership aligns with EABC’s mission to promote a conducive business environment and deepen regional integration through private sector–led growth.

“The leather sector holds immense potential for value addition, job creation and export diversification across the EAC. Through this MoU, we aim to address policy bottlenecks, improve standards and enhance trade and investment in the sector,” he said.

Delivering remarks on behalf of Executive Director of ALLPI, Mr Michael Kiraye reaffirmed ALLPI’s commitment to leveraging its technical expertise to support the sustainable development of the leather value chain.

“This partnership with EABC is an important step in bridging the COMESA and EAC regions through innovation, knowledge sharing and enterprise competitiveness. Together, we will promote trade and investment while empowering SMEs, women and youth in the leather industry,” he noted.

The MoU will remain in effect for five years and will be reviewed annually to ensure alignment with emerging regional priorities. Both parties also agreed to jointly mobilise resources to implement actionable programmes for the benefit of businesses in the leather sector.

This partnership underscores the shared vision of EABC and ALLPI to transform the regional leather industry into a globally competitive and sustainable value chain, contributing to economic growth, industrialisation and regional integration.