Arusha, Tanzania, Monday 6^th October 2025: – The International Trade Centre (ITC) has partnered with the East African Business Council (EABC) for the upcoming East African Business and Investment Summit & Expo (EABIS) 2025, scheduled for 16th–17th October 2025 at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya.

The East African Business and Investment Summit & Expo is the flagship event bringing together Cabinet Ministers, CEOs, investors, development partners, and business leaders from across Africa and beyond to shape the East African economic agenda and unlock new intra- and extra-EAC trade and investment opportunities.

The 19th EAC Heads of State Summit in 2018, gave the directive to establish mechanisms to support textile and leather manufacturing, recognizing the sector’s high potential for growth and job creation. In response, East African Community Leather and Leather Products Strategy and Implementation Roadmap 2020‑2030 was developed to boost value addition and strengthen leather value chain integration.

The EAC footwear and leather sector holds immense potential for industrial growth, job creation, and enhanced export revenues. Under the European Union (EU) -EAC MARKUP II project funded by the EU, and in partnership with the EAC Secretariat, ITC will host a dedicated Roundtable on Industrialization and Financing in the EAC Footwear and Leather Sector on 17th October 2025 during East African Business and Investment Summit & Expo.  The roundtable will explore practical measures to accelerate industrialisation and financing.

The roundtable will gather policymakers, financiers, private sector leaders, and development partners to explore innovative financing models, technology adoption, and regional integration strategies to scale up the sector. East African leather manufacturers will also showcase their products at the exhibition during event.

As part of the session on Unlocking SME Growth: Access to Finance and Mentorship for Africa’s Emerging Enterprises, ITC will present the SME Investment Dealbook that includes its first cohort of SMEs under the EU-EAC MARKUP II  This initiative highlights 14 high-potential businesses in the coffee and leather sectors, offering participating investors a curated pipeline of growth-ready opportunities, and bridging the gap between entrepreneurs and financiers for more impactful partnerships that can scale businesses, create jobs, and unlock new markets across East Africa and beyond.

The International Trade Centre (ITC) will also deliver a keynote presentation on The AfCFTA Investment Protocol and the WTO’s Investment Facilitation Agreement during the panel on Leveraging Regional & Continental Integration at the East African Business and Investment Summit & Expo 2025.

The 2025 Summit edition will also feature:

• Presidential Panel on Regional Prosperity
• High-level CEOs & Ministers Dialogue on Manufacturing
• High-level CEOs & Ministers Dialogue on Trade in Services
• Industrialisation and Financing in the EAC Footwear and Leather Sector roundtable
• Panel on Open Skies for a Borderless Africa
• Break Out Session on Digital Trade, Mutual Recognition Agreement for Engineers, Anti Illicit Trade , Unlocking SMEs Growth

The Summit will delve into continental and global economic trends with the aim of repositioning the EAC as Africa’s premier trade and investment hub. Visit Event Website 

Notes to Editors

• About EAC: The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organization of eight Partner States—Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda—working to foster economic integration, peace, and prosperity. Established in 1967 and relaunched in 2000, the EAC Secretariat coordinates policies and programs to deepen cooperation and drive sustainable development across the region. Visit eac.int.

• About EABC: The East African Business Council (EABC) is the regional apex body of private sector associations and corporations from eight EAC countries, established in 1997 to promote private sector-driven growth. Visit www.eabc-online.com.
• About ITC: The International Trade Centre (ITC) empowers MSMEs in developing countries to compete globally through trade-focused programs and partnerships. Visit www.intracen.org.
• About EU-EAC MARKUP II: The European Union (EU)- East African Community (EAC) MARKUP II funded by the EU, aims to enhance economic development in the EAC through sustainable intra-African and EU-Africa trade. It is implemented by the International Trade Centre in collaboration with the EAC Secretariat and national partners in the recipient countries. Visit www.eacmarkup.org.