Partnering with the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade has delivered qualifications to student cohorts in East and West Africa, supporting export growth, as well as both intra-African and global trade.
The initiative supports the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the main body for promoting international commerce in Africa, in its ambitious target to boost trade between African nations by 81% by 2035.
The organisation’s Level 4 Diploma in International Trade has been taught to students in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya, including export promotion agencies, government officials, as well as professionals in industry.
Programme creation
The Chartered Institute has undertaken the programme design, updating and adapting learning material in response to international trade, customs and regulatory changes, as well as tailoring it to the regions’ specific needs and regional economic communities. The organisation also delivered hourly virtual classroom sessions, and oversaw the assessment process, which includes chief examiner approval.
The Chartered Institute’s professional practices director Kevin Shakespeare, who helped design and deliver the programme, said that:
“We have endeavoured to ensure that the learning meets local and regional needs, as well as the wider international trade environment, and also ensure flexibility in how we deliver the learning in order to recognise the busy schedule of learners.
“We look forward to continuing to deliver the qualification across the continent of Africa and incorporating the trade facilitation initiatives taking place across Africa and indeed globally as they impact export trade, import trade and supply chains.”
To date, over 100 students have studied the Level 4 Diploma, which included modules on business environment, finance of international trade, international marketing and international physical distribution.
The Daily Update spoke to two Kenyan students who graduated in 2023, having completed the Level 4 qualification. They explained how the course has helped them to build their trade careers and support Kenyan businesses to reach international markets.
‘Gives you confidence’
Kelvin Mugendi, the principal trade advisory officer at the Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA), says that the qualification gave him a more comprehensive knowledge of international trade and business.
Mugendi appreciated the breadth of the course material, “from trade barriers” to the wide-ranging factors that make up the “business environment”, which were all factors he would consider on a daily basis. He adds that, even for those already in a trade role, the qualification can “improve your skills, improve your knowledge, it gives you confidence–confidence to do your job even better".
In particular, Mugendi said that being encouraged to explore how external factors – like technological changes, legal issues and political context – can shape trade decisions, and then applying this to real-life scenarios was beneficial to him.
Since completing the course, he’s advised many clients on exporting amid instability in the Middle East, with shipping disruption in the Suez Canal an ongoing problem over the past few months.
“I’m able to quickly bring in the business environment, see how it fits and advise clients about how it impacts them,” he says.
‘Deep understanding’
Celestine Rono, Director of Corporate Strategy at KEPROBA, says that the course “exceeded her expectations” and that completing the Level 4 qualification has also given her more confidence in her role.
She highlights the course’s practical assignments and case studies, explaining that it “gave me hands-on experience that boosted my confidence in navigating the intricacies of international trade”.
Rono singled out topics including trade regulations, export documentation, market analysis and global supply chains as instilling “a deep understanding of the complexities of international markets”.
She adds that it’s fulfilling to be able to share this knowledge for the benefit of businesses across the country, enabling her “to grow exports from Kenya to the world”.
Flexibility
The course’s delivery was also valuable to Rono, who credits this with helping her to grow professionally as a mother:
“The programme was flexible and allowed me time to raise my young family and thrive in my career”.
Being able to attend weekly lectures remotely and then approach set assignments on a weekly basis provided her with time to keep on top of work and family life.
Teaching
As well as the programme content, attendees praised the delivery of the material by Shakespeare.
Rono praised Shakespeare for bringing “a wealth of industry experience” and “making every lesson engaging and relevant”.
She described his lessons as “challenging yet rewarding. Like Mugendi, she found that being asked to think critically about course material and then apply it to real-world scenarios made a big difference to her understanding:
“I now use these skills daily in my professional life”.
Mugendi echoed this, praising Shakespeare’s “expertise” and adding that he appreciated that the learning material was delivered clearly and “without jargon”.
Shakespeare said that “it has been a pleasure to be involved in the development and delivery of the qualification”.
“The quality of the learners has been of a high standard, and all learners are to be commended for their willingness to learn and apply these lessons to their work.”
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