Kigali, Rwanda, 12 September 2025 (ECA) - The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), through its Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa, convened a briefing for ambassadors and senior diplomatic representatives on Thursday, 11 September 2025, at its Kigali office. The session focused on preparations for the upcoming Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts (ICSOE) for Eastern Africa. An analysis of the region’s current economic and social landscape was also shared.
The ICSOE serves as ECA’s annual regional platform, bringing together senior government officials, technical experts, and development partners to review the Commission’s work program, assess emerging trends, and formulate collective recommendations to accelerate structural transformation across Eastern Africa.
In his presentation, Andrew Mold, Director of ECA in Eastern Africa, highlighted the fact that, while the region continues to report relatively high economic growth, with a forecast of regional growth of 6.1% in 2025 – nearly twice current forecasts for the global economy – concerns remain around fiscal sustainability.
Trade opportunities and risks
The briefing also addressed trade dynamics, particularly the region’s exposure to the United States’ tariff increases. Mr. Mold stressed that initial fears that the US tariff increases would have a large negative impact may have been exaggerated. For one thing, the share of regional exports going to the US market is less than 3%. The main risk for the region rests in clothing and apparel exports – principally, by Kenya, Ethiopia and Madagascar, which were worth just over US$ 1 billion in 2024.
Secondly, US monthly import data published for the period from April-July 2025 show that, contrary to expectations, regional exports have actually increased vis-à-vis the same period in 2025. Thus, for instance, as US demand for the country’s minerals surged, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s exports to the United States increased by just US$ 118 million from April to July in 2024 to more than US 1.14 billion over the same period in 2025, a nearly nine-fold increase. Similarly, thus far, Eastern Africa’s clothing exporters do not seem to be impacted either, with Kenyan, Ethiopian, and Madagascan exports to the United States going up 95%, 22%, and 4%, respectively, over the same time period. Mr Mold speculated that the reason was that the other major supplies of clothing to the United States – namely, China, Vietnam and Bangladesh – have been hit by even higher tariffs (30, 20 and 20%, respectively). The assumption that orders of African clothing would automatically decline was not correct, he added.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Ozonnia Ojielo, UN Resident Coordinator in Rwanda, underscored the importance of regional cooperation and strategic investment. “In a time of global uncertainty, Eastern Africa must harness its collective strength. The work of ECA is critical in guiding evidence-based policy and fostering inclusive growth. We must invest in our people, our institutions, and our productive capacities,” he said.
Key Takeaways from the Briefing
The briefing concluded with a call to action for member states to prioritize foundational pillars of development—education, energy access, and demographic transition—as essential elements in sustaining long-term growth and development. For instance, Rwanda’s adult literacy rate rose from 54.3% in 2000 to 76% in 2022, demonstrating the transformative impact of sustained investment in human capital.
Looking ahead, ECA recommends that dependence on Official Development Assistance (ODA) leaves the region exposed to donor cutbacks, threatening critical sectors such as health, education, and food security. Therefore, building resilience through domestic resource mobilization, stronger intra-African trade, and strategic investments in education and energy access is essential for sustainable and inclusive development.
The Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa of ECA is based in Kigali, and covers the following 14 countries: Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org