24th COMESA Summit Opens in Nairobi as Kenya Takes Over Chairmanship
The forum targets small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially those owned by women, to facilitate them in expanding their global market reach.
The forum targets small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially those owned by women, to facilitate them in expanding their global market reach. Photo/ Courtesy
By Juliet Jerotich
The 24th COMESA Summit has officially opened at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi. The four-day conference, which started on Monday, October 6, has drawn more than 300 exhibitors from across the region. They will display goods, share innovations, boost trade, and enter into partnerships for further regional integration.
The summit hosts several key events. It began with the COMESA–EU Horticulture Connect that brought together Africa’s horticultural producers and European Union buyers. The forum targets small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially those owned by women, to facilitate them in expanding their global market reach. The 17th COMESA Business Forum and Trade Exhibition will take place on Tuesday, October 7. This will be followed by the 20th COMESA Ministers of Foreign Affairs Meeting on Peace and Security on October 8. The week will be concluded by the 24th Summit of Heads of State and Government on October 9.
This year, Kenya will assume the rotational Chairmanship of COMESA from Burundi. As one of the founding members, Kenya continues to lead in advancing regional trade and cooperation. The member states of COMESA are seeking harmonization of their trade policies in a bid to increase cross-border trade, said Regina Ombam, Principal Secretary at the State Department for Trade. She further stated that leaders are now aware of the significant role of trade in propelling economic growth.
“When AfCFTA talks started at the COMESA level, the intention was to have a huge free trade area covering Africa,” Ombam said. She stated that the tripartite configuration connecting EAC, SADC, and COMESA seeks to establish a single market that enhances African competitiveness on the world stage.”.
Horticulture Connect forum will provide SMEs with vital information regarding EU market requirements, certification process, and quality standards. This will enable them to compete competitively in the world market. Previous years have witnessed COMESA organize business missions that bring together European investors and African entrepreneurs, as well as buyers. Ms. Mshuka Kamwela, the COMESA Secretariat Development Fund Manager, European Union, noted that the interface has allowed SMEs to win export contracts and widen networks.
Teddy Soobramanien, CEO of COMESA Business Council, described the summit as a key platform that will see policymakers, entrepreneurs, and innovators collaborate on development and trade.
The 20th Summit of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, scheduled for October 8, will discuss the security and peace situation in the region and propose measures to promote stability and democracy.
As the summit continues, Kenya has promised to ensure it is successful. The theme of this year’s summit is “Leveraging Digitization to Deepen Regional Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth.” It emphasizes the use of technology in order to improve trade, innovation, and sustainable development in the region.
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