Get Guardian on GoogleTo tackle poor access to market affecting local businesses, the Executive Director of Future Map Foundation, Dr Shuaib Sani Shuaib, has called for greater use of technology to connect businesses across the continent with potential buyers.
He highlighted technology-driven solutions such as digital marketplaces, logistics platforms and payment gateways as lee-ways to help businesses reach new customers, expand beyond domestic markets and facilitate cross-border trade.
Shuaib spoke at the 2026 Global Technology Africa (GTA) Conference held in Kano, with the theme, “Connecting Africa, Accelerating Growth”.
He cited the experience of a Kano-based shoe manufacturer with unsold products worth over N300 million, explaining that declining purchasing power among local consumers had affected demand for locally manufactured goods.
According to him, the manufacturer was considering exporting some of his products after realising that limiting his market to Nigeria would restrict his business opportunities.
He said the experience underscored the need for African businesses to explore markets beyond their immediate environment and leverage technology to connect with consumers across national borders.
Shuaib also highlighted the difficulties faced by local artisans, particularly shoemakers in Kano, who have access to quality leather and the skills to produce footwear but lack effective channels to reach potential buyers.
He said while a shoemaker in Kano might have the capacity to produce quality shoes, a potential customer thousands of kilometres away might not know that such a product or manufacturer exists.
He said the conference was designed to bring together stakeholders from academia, government, policymakers and the private sector to explore how technology, research and supportive policies could address the challenges of market access.
“We wanted to create a conversation around how people could leverage policy opportunities, technology platforms and research to move their goods across borders, with technology at the centre of the revolution,” he said.
He said the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AU-NEPAD) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) were among the key partners supporting the conference.
Shuaib said the foundation was committed to promoting human capital development and leveraging technology to drive sustainable growth, particularly among young people, women and persons with special needs.
He added that the conference featured investment sessions, startup showcases, exhibition booths and an innovation challenge designed to connect entrepreneurs with investors and support promising technology-driven solutions.
Shuaib disclosed that five African countries had expressed interest in hosting the next edition of the conference, including Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya and Nigeria.
Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, who was represented by the Director General of Information Technology Development (KASITDA), Dr Bashir Muzakkaso said the conference present an opportunity to reposition the continent, strengthen partnerships, unlock new markets, and harness technology as strategic instrument for economic transformation.
Kano state according to him is not new to commerce, enterprise, innovation, or regional integration, saying for centuries, the state has served as a major center for trade, manufacturing, agriculture, and commercial exchange, connecting communities across Nigeria, West Africa, and the Sahel.
He recognized that Kano’s history commercial advantage can be strengthened and extended through technology adding that the future of trade, manufacturing, agriculture, financial services, logistics, and public administration will increasingly depend on digital connectivity, artificial intelligence, data, innovation, and technology-enabled enterprise.
The representative of the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido. Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu, Şarkın Suda called for a reflection on the fact that future we seek for Africa will not be built by technology alone but by people, leaders with vision, entrepreneurs with courage, investors with confidence, and young men and women determined to create opportunities where others see obstacles.
He called for more committment to investing in their people, supporting innovation, building partnerships and opening doors for the next generation.
He said “Let us ensure that when we meet again, we confront not only to the ideas we share, but to the lives we change. Our affairs teach us that the best among us are those who bring benefit to others. May this gathering be remembered as one that generated not just conversations, but opportunities.”
