A transformative chapter in African trade is unfolding as AfreTrade, a pioneering digital gateway for global commerce, launches on 18 November 2025 at the MUSON Centre in Onikan, Lagos. Designed to transform how African businesses access international markets, AfreTrade is positioning itself as a critical catalyst for activating the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and expanding Africa’s footprint in the global economy. The invitation-only official launch brings together government leaders, industry executives, innovators, development partners, and members of the diplomatic and business communities to Nigeria’s commercial capital. The event will unveil AfreTrade’s integrated platform built around the “3Ts”: Trade, Talent, and Training, a model created to strengthen competitiveness across the continent.
As a trusted digital gateway for global trade, AfreTrade gives users and investors the confidence to engage with emerging markets by derisking transactions and strengthening trust. The platform enables verified businesses and talent to discover and connect with legitimate, fully verified opportunities for new markets, partnerships, and investment — all while supporting export readiness and sustainable growth.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), African SMEs account for 80–90 percent of all businesses on the continent, yet remain locked out of global trade due to significant financing gaps, regulatory complexity, and fragmented logistics. Banks on the continent often charge interest rates of 20–25%, and only a fraction of SMEs can secure formal credit. In East Africa, technical regulations and non-tariff barriers, such as sanitary standards or certification requirements, block nearly half of potential exports.
As such, many SMEs lack real-time market data, cross-border networks, and capacity-building support to navigate standards and compliance. AfreTrade directly addresses these obstacles by offering a unified digital gateway to empower SMEs by verifying partners, facilitating skills-based training, and democratizing trade opportunities with transparency and ease.
With Africa’s share of global trade estimated at 3.3% according to Afreximbank, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has argued that Africa must tackle high intra-African trade costs by activating the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), investing in infrastructure, reducing logistics burdens, and fostering value addition in manufacturing and digital trade to boost this relatively small share.
Speaking ahead of the platform launch, AfreTrade’s leadership emphasized that Africa’s transformation hinges on building digital infrastructure that empowers people and businesses to compete globally, with Founder and CEO Mr. Lekan Salaam noting that “AfreTrade identifies viable businesses and talent, verifies and amplifies them. The way we envision Afretrade is to bridge the economic gap on the African continent, create an environment of collaboration without subordination, and unlock the continent’s full potential.” Echoing this vision, AfreTrade’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Charly Lemaasi, cited that “Africa’s renaissance is the responsibility of her own children. It will take Africans to rebuild Africa, and true transformation demands a renewed consciousness. Only a new mind can unlock a new African narrative,” insisting that true transformation requires a renewed mindset capable of redefining how Africa connects, trades, and competes on the world stage. Reinforcing this strategic shift, Afretrade’s Chief Product Officer, Mr. Jubril Gbajabiamila, added that while “nobody is going to create a hundred million jobs in Africa, the AfreTrade platform can enable a hundred million businesses to flourish—each employing five to ten people—thereby powering job creation through widespread entrepreneurship.
The Afretrade initiative arrives at a pivotal moment as African economies strive for diversification, digital transformation, and greater integration into regional and global value chains. The AfreTrade platform is expected to support policymakers’ efforts to create a more enabling environment for exports, investment flows, job creation, and talent development. Stakeholder participation is essential to scale the Afretrade platform’s impact and ensure that the continent’s businesses can fully leverage the historic opportunities of the AfCTA. AfreTrade is calling on government institutions, private sector leaders, investors, chambers of commerce, exporters, talent hubs, and development organizations to support and join the movement to redefine Africa’s role in global commerce.
AfreTrade is a trusted digital gateway for global trade, providing African businesses with seamless access to markets, skills, and capacity-building solutions. Combining Trade, Talent, and Training into a single ecosystem, AfreTrade is committed to driving economic inclusion, export expansion, and sustainable development across Africa.
