COMESA Secretariat working jointly with the COMESA Business Council (CBC) participated at the 57th Zambia International Trade Fair held in Ndola from 28th June – 4th July 2023. The fair offered an opportunity for staff to interact with the public and share information and knowledge on regional integration programmes being implemented.   

This is part of COMESA’s outreach strategy to raise public and stakeholder awareness on regional integration programmes and encourage them to take advantage of the opportunities that COMESA provides. It was also part of the demonstration of the COMESA programmes in Member States. The activity was supported under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF 11), Institutional Capacity Building Programme (ICBP).

COMESA information resource desk mounted at the fair served as the hub for engagements with businesspeople, students, small and medium entrepreneurs, policy makers, among others. Both local and foreign exhibitors took part. 

As part of information dissemination, the team paid a courtesy call to Copperbelt University library to present various publications. COMESA Research Fellow Ms. Jane Kibiru briefed the CBU Chief and deputy librarian about the COMESA Master’s Degree programme which is being offered and invited the university to join the two other Zambian Universities offering the course. 

Other high learning institutions that received COMESA publications included National Institute for Public Administration (NIPA), Copperstone University, and Mulungushi University

Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema, who is also the Chairperson of the COMESA Authority accompanied by His Majesty King Mswati III of Eswatini officially opened the Fair on Saturday 1st July 2023. Its theme was: ‘Stimulating economic growth through partnership, trade and investment”.