Context and objectives

The economic performance of African economies is increasingly driven by the services sector. However, unlocking the full potential of Africa’s services sector requires that its contribution to economic performance and linkages to productive sectors is fully understood to support timely policy-making. This is critical at a time when the continent has embarked on the liberalization of services under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). A major challenge that remains for African countries concerns how to better assess the contribution of the services to the economy, so as to fully capture their linkages to global and regional value chains. This entails addressing constraints related to data gaps on services and strengthening capacities at national and regional levels to measure the value added generated by services sectors with a view to supporting policy-making processes.

This is the overarching goal of a technical assistance programme jointly designed and implemented by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Over the period 2018-2021, and under a project funded by the UN Development Account, the two institutions have been piloting the programme in six African countries, covering three services sectors (transport services for Ethiopia and Kenya; tourism services for The Gambia and Mali; and financial services for Nigeria and Togo). The project aims at strengthening capacities to measure the value added that is generated by the selected services sectors, and supporting policy frameworks to maximize their contribution to national and regional value chains. 

Under the scope of the project, a case study was commissioned by UNCTAD in collaboration with the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development of Kenya. The study analyzed the contribution of the road transport sector in Kenya’s tea value chains and recommends a set of policy options needed to strengthen the linkages. The methodology adopted by the study draws upon a review of existing literature, focus groups, interviews and surveys.

In order to rigorously review the key findings of the study and discuss its policy recommendations, the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development of Kenya, in collaboration with UNCTAD and ECA, will organize a validation workshop on 19 November 2020.

Participation and organizational arrangements

The workshop will be attended by key stakeholders in Kenya’s transport and tea sectors among others, identified by the Kenyan State Department for Trade. These will include mainly policy makers and private sector and development institutions.

The workshop will take place on 19 November 2020 from 10:30 AM to 13: 00 PM, Nairobi time (08:30 AM to 11:00 AM, Geneva time) at the Hilton Nairobi under hybrid modalities, that is both physically and virtually. Participants located in Nairobi will attend the meeting in person. Those located outside Kenya will participate through a dedicated virtual platform.

The working language of the webinar will be English.