NAIROBI, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Africa's largest trading bloc, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), launched a leather value chain strategy on Friday to boost regional industrialization.

COMESA's Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe said the strategy for 2025-2029 serves as a roadmap to shift the region from exporting raw materials to producing value-added products.

"The strategy focuses on skills development, SME support, innovation and sustainability to enable the region to compete globally while creating jobs and building economic resilience," Kapwepwe said during the launch in Nairobi, Kenya's capital.

She said that the strategy aims to promote economic integration, industrialization, and sustainable trade across COMESA's 21 member states. It also supports Africa's transformation into a global industrial powerhouse by increasing value addition in key sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing, in line with the African Union's Agenda 2063.

According to Kapwepwe, the region currently exports most of its hides and skins with minimal processing while importing over 1.1 billion U.S. dollars' worth of footwear annually.

She urged COMESA member states to adopt procurement policies that prioritize regionally produced leather footwear for uniformed personnel, thereby creating a guaranteed market, attracting private investment and enhancing regional industrialization.

Juma Mukhwana, principal secretary in Kenya's Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, said that though Africa accounts for 17 percent of the global population, it contributes less than 3 percent to global manufacturing.

Mukhwana called on African countries to trade more with each other, eliminate internal trade barriers, and shift from exporting raw materials to producing finished goods to boost intra-African trade, which currently stands at 15 to 17 percent.

The strategy launched Friday seeks to increase value addition, create jobs and reduce the region's footwear import bill by maximizing the use of the 42 million hides and skins produced annually.

The African Union, through the African Continental Free Trade Area, plans to enhance regional trade in leather goods, reduce reliance on imports, and improve intra-African market access for locally manufactured products. Enditem

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