My trip to Zambia
I was in Livingstone Zambia attending an Africa Leather and Leather products consultative meeting. The leather industry globally is over 130 billion US dollars. Africa has a less than 5% share in this global trade. The value of the leather business globally by far exceeds the summation of trade in tea, coffee and many other products. Coffee which is Uganda’s main export is worthy only U.S dollar 30 billion. Africa is losing out on this market because of a variety of reasons. These include our readiness, both entrepreneurial and financial to add value to the hides and skin, the emergence of China as a cheap producer of leather products, the import of old shoes in the African market and the unfair trade practices of developed countries including the demand f0r standards, restrictions on imports of leather products and our own failings as in terms of policy and business environment in Africa.
The leather and leather products institute located in Ethiopia has been at the fore front of seeking improvements in changing this situation. Initially a COMESA institute, it is now an all-African institute and is supporting establishment of training programmes in different institutions in the region, support for small and medium enterprises in the sector, research to inform policy and creating awareness among African countries on the challenge they face and the prospects of wealth creation in the sector.
Led by the charismatic professor Mwinyikione Mwinyihija, the Institute has supported numerous education institutions and firms initially in the COMESA Region. It is being transformed into an All African Institute because keeping out Nigeria and South Africa when talking about the African market will not be a good business idea. MUBS is participating in these affairs as and academic institution, our plans were to start Programmes in Leather and Leather products at different levels. The informal programmes, Diploma and Degree programmes. Presently, MUBS is undertaking a research in the impact of second hand shoes on the leather sector. Two other universities, one in Kenya and another in Zambia are looking at the different aspects of the leather sector. It is expected that MUBS will commence diploma programmes and also support those with ideas in its business incubator