Dr. Vimal Shah, Chairperson of the EABC–AfDB Project Steering Committee and Chairman of BIDCO Africa on July 30, 2026. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]
East African businesses have been urged to strengthen regional value chains and invest in value addition to fully capitalize on opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The initiative, supported by the African Development Bank through the Fund for African Private Sector Assistance (FAPA), aims to equip enterprises in the textile, leather and edible oil sectors with practical knowledge on exporting under the AfCFTA framework.
Speaking during the opening of the business clinic market access in Nairobi, Dr. Vimal Shah, Chairperson of the East African Business Council (EABC) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) EABC–AfDB, said East Africa must move beyond exporting raw materials and instead develop integrated regional value chains capable of competing across the continent.
"The African Continental Free Trade Area presents East Africa with an unprecedented opportunity to industrialize and expand trade across a market of 1.3 billion consumers. To benefit fully, we must strengthen regional value chains, increase value addition and improve the competitiveness of our industries," said Dr. Shah.
He noted that despite the region's abundant agricultural and livestock resources, East African countries continue to import significant volumes of value-added products that could be manufactured locally.
According to Dr. Shah, the East African Community (EAC) exported raw hides and skins worth Sh4.27 billion in 2023 while importing leather goods valued at Sh 6.34 billion, despite global trade in finished leather growing from Sh 7.38 trillion in 2005 to Sh 12.81 trillion in 2024.
He added that the region captured less than one per cent of global leather exports.