Lagos, in partnership with Afreximbank, ImpactHER, trains over 200 SMEs on Export success
L-R: Representative of the Founder/President, ImpactHER, Clementina Uzogor; President, Association of Agro and Food Processors, Chief Duro Kuteyi; Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment (MCCTI), Mrs Folashade Bada Ambrose; Permanent Secretary, MCCTI, Dr. Olugbemiga Aina; Director of Commerce, MCCTI, Mrs Helen Adesina; and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on CCTI, Mrs Hauwa Adeeyo at the opening ceremony of the Lagos SMEs Export Readiness Programme (LASERP) held at Alausa, Ikeja on Wednesday.
Lagos, in partnership with Afreximbank, ImpactHER, trains over 200 SMEs on Export success
The Lagos State Government, in collaboration with Afreximbank and ImpactHER, has launched a six-week Export Readiness Training Programme for 253 small and medium enterprises to enhance their capacity for international trade.
The initiative, hosted by the Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, began with an opening ceremony at Alausa, Ikeja.
From the cohort, 20 top-performing SMEs will be chosen to represent Lagos at the Intra-African Trade Fair in Algiers, Algeria, in September 2025, where they will serve as the state’s export ambassadors.
At the launch, Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose, described the programme as a transformative opportunity for SMEs to tap into a market of over 1.3 billion African consumers.
She emphasized its alignment with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s vision of fostering a 21st-century economy and driving inclusive growth.
Ambrose highlighted that the training is designed to equip businesses with the skills to overcome export challenges such as inadequate packaging, regulatory hurdles, limited financial knowledge, and weak market connections, positioning them as competitive players in continental trade.
The curriculum covers essential topics including export documentation, international packaging and labeling standards, trade finance, customs procedures, market entry strategies under the African Continental Free Trade Area, digital trade opportunities, and gender-responsive exporting for women-led businesses.
Ambrose urged participants to seize the programme as a launchpad to elevate their enterprises onto the global stage, noting Lagos’s unique position as a leader in Nigeria’s export economy due to its dynamic and diversified market.
Speaking virtually from Cairo, Mr. Ody Akhanoba, Afreximbank’s Director of SME Development, underscored the programme’s role in advancing export promotion across Africa.
He revealed that Afreximbank invested $18.7 billion in SME capacity building across 27 countries in 2024, with plans to support over 3,000 SMEs in 38 African and seven Caribbean nations in 2025.
Akhanoba described the training as a vital step for Lagos SMEs, with top performers gaining continued support beyond the trade fair.
The initiative reflects Lagos’s ambition to lead Nigeria’s integration into global markets, leveraging its status as West Africa’s economic hub.
The selected SMEs will gain access to buyers, investors, and policymakers at the IATF, fostering opportunities for wealth creation and job growth.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Olugbenga Aina, praised Governor Sanwo-Olu for his visionary leadership in advancing commerce and industry, particularly through empowering SMEs.
He described the Export Readiness Training Programme as a pioneering initiative that equips Lagos-based businesses with critical technical skills to scale and compete globally.
Clementina Uzogor, representing ImpactHER’s founder, explained that the six-week programme, comprising four weeks of intensive training followed by two weeks of mentorship, aims to enhance participants’ export capabilities and foster connections with trade experts and women-led SMEs across Nigeria.
She outlined the programme’s objectives, which include building capacity for MSMEs, with a focus on women-owned businesses, strengthening Lagos’s trade ecosystem, increasing market exposure, and facilitating access to promotional opportunities.
