Effective leather standards to help boost product exports

Kenya is calling for the development and review of standards and quality certifications in the leather sector to help increase production of leather and leather goods from Africa.

Speaking during the Regional Training Workshop on Cluster Development organized by the Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI), Industrialisation Secretary Nobby Macharia said review of the standards will help Kenya and other African countries under the institute increase market access, export volumes, create jobs, improve livelihoods, ensure overall economic growth and promote sustainable eco-friendly practices.

“This workshop has been a significant step forward in our collective efforts to enhance the leather industry across Africa. The knowledge and skills you have acquired here will be instrumental in developing robust clusters that can drive economic growth, create jobs, and increase our competitiveness on the global stage,” said Macharia.

The five-day workshop bringing together government officials, private sector partners, and industry stakeholders from various ALLPI member states including Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Sudan and Malawi sought to enhance the capacity of member states to design, manage, and implement clusters aimed at driving economic growth and innovation within Africa’s leather sector.

According to Macharia, Small and Medium Enterprises in the leather value chain continue to face challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, lack of access to affordable financing, limited technical skills and market information which can be addressed through effective cluster formation and management which are crucial in overcoming the obstacles and help boost the sector’s competitiveness.

Workshop participants also got to acquire monitoring and evaluation tools which include project evaluation questionnaires, performance metrics, and dashboards designed to quantitatively measure the success of interventions.

“We have made significant progress this week. But this is just the beginning. Let us continue to work together, support each other, and drive the development of robust clusters that will transform our economies and improve the livelihoods of our people,” added Nicholas Mudungwe, ALLPI Executive Director.

Participants were trained to rate different aspects of project management, technical competency, and change management, enabling them to assess the effectiveness of their cluster initiatives objectively.