Amongst the many reasons why global stakeholders should take a closer look at Ethiopia, the first is its strategic location between Europe and Asia. The other point is that the country is being one of the world’s largest untapped resources and market with an increasing spur of economy. The country is also one of the preferable textile and apparel destinations.
That is why the first African edition of International Textile Machinery Exhibition (ITME) will take place in Addis from February 14th to 16th under the theme: “Prosperity for Africa through Textile Industry”.
The exhibition is believed to offer sourcing solution, joint venture and investment opportunity not only to Ethiopia, but to all African countries.
Ethiopia has been selected to host the first edition of the event due to its unique position as the seat of the African Union as well as for being one of the major countries in Africa with growing textile industry, according to the organizers.
Ethiopian Textile Industry Development Institute Director General Sileshi Lemma noted that over 200 exhibitors drawn from nearly 50 European, Asian and African countries are expected to take part in the exhibition and share different significant technology experiences for the textile and garment industry.
As textile industry is more dependent on the ‘white gold’, which is cotton, there should be industrialization competitiveness for its development, he added. Therefore, such exhibitions enable textile and garment marketers to share their experience.
Underscoring that technology is a compulsory rather than an alternative, Tekile Gebreyesus, Trade and Industry State Minister on his part recommended those local marketers to seize the opportunity to share and gain technological experience from the exhibition. He also added that the exhibition helps Ethiopia to become African Textile hub apart from encouraging investors to be competitive at continental level.
As textile is a key catalyst of economic growth that the modern technology demand, organizing such events helps to promote technological revolution and involving new entrepreneurs in Africa, said Engineer Melaku Ezezew, President of Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectorial Associations (ECCSA). Beside this, it is a favourable opportunity for Ethiopians to expanding exports throughout the world.
Similarly, Anurag Strivastave, Ambassador of India to Ethiopia, revealed that the exhibition helps to strengthen the bilateral relations between Ethiopia and India which started couples of millenniums ago at the port of Adulis.
Adding to the point, Ambassador Strivastave explained that India will share experience to Ethiopia as it is the second in the world textile industry.
Moreover, S. Hari Shankar, Chairman of India ITME Society, stated that the exhibition enables Africans to use their untapped potential on the sector.
The exhibition, as it is learnt, will be carried out under four major categories: textiles, textile engineering, financial institutions and allied segments. The event will include technology seminars, business-to-business meetings.
ITME AFRICA 2020 is deemed to be more than a routine exhibition. It proposes to bring to the table complete solutions to textile industry development in the continent through affordable technology, international exposure, skill development through seminars and conferences, it was learnt.
The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the governments of India and Ethiopia, Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectorial Association, Indian Ministry of Textile and other stake holders.
The Ethiopian Herald September 11, 2019
BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
