Ethiopia’s LISEC project, 8 years on

In 2018, the United Nations industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) launched its ‘Leather Initiative for Sustainable Employment Creation Project’ (LISEC) in Ethiopia. Funded by the European Union (EU), which invested €13.75 million, the project has been centred around Modjo City.

It has focused on reducing migration by creating jobs, and building a sustainable and competitive leather value chain.

“At its core, LISEC introduces a visionary model of industrialization that is environmentally responsible, socially inclusive, and economically impactful,” UNIDO says in a 48-page publication describing the project.

“UNIDO leads the implementation in close collaboration with a network of national and regional institutions, including the Ministry of Industry (MoI), Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Ministry of Labor and Skills (MoLS), Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration (MoTRI), Ethiopian Enterprises Development (EED) and the Leather and Leather Products Industry Research and Development Centre (LLPIRDC). These partnerships ensure a coordinated, multisectoral approach to sector transformation.

“The project implements a comprehensive set of actions to strengthen every link in the leather value chain . The main intervention modalities are technology transfer, capacity building, skills training, and market access facilitation. Starting at the source, LISEC’s core interventions include improving the quality and quantity of hides and skins; strengthening the capacity of tanneries to comply with international standards and integrate into the global leather value chain; and fostering investment and innovation in and around Modjo Leather City, including support for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). In doing so, the UNIDOLISEC project laid the groundwork for a globally competitive and locally empowering leather industry in Ethiopia. Furthermore, the LISEC initiative is catalysing Ethiopia’s industrial transformation, one that improves livelihoods, drives sustainable development, and positions Ethiopia as a leader in leather production on the global stage.”