The Federal Government, Canada, and the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) have launched the Trade for Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth (TRISEG) Project to strengthen Nigeria’s export ecosystem and help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) access regional and international markets.

The five-year project, funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by the Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada, runs from 2025 to 2030 across 16 developing countries. In Nigeria, it will directly target 200 SMEs, with 67 per cent owned or led by women and under-represented groups.

The project was launched yesterday in Abuja alongside a stakeholder validation workshop on Nigeria’s Export Market Analysis and Institutional Capacity Assessment.

President of ACCI, Chief Emeka Obegolu, SAN, said the initiative would strengthen both the institutions supporting businesses and the capacity of enterprises to compete in local, regional and international markets.

He said Nigerian SMEs had the potential to compete globally but continued to face practical constraints, including limited access to markets, finance, digital resources and institutional support.

Obegolu said the project’s Climate Resilience Fund would provide technical assistance, digital resources, training and support for investment plans aimed at environmental sustainability and climate resilience.

He urged stakeholders to use the validation exercise to identify the barriers limiting Nigerian SMEs, gaps requiring institutional reform and capacity building, financing constraints and areas where digitalisation could improve competitiveness.

Representing the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Chris Osa Isokpunwu, said Nigeria’s trade strategy must move beyond increasing export volumes to strengthening the capacity of businesses to produce competitively, meet international standards and access the right markets.

He said exporters needed reliable market intelligence, efficient trade procedures, standards and certification, finance, logistics, digital infrastructure and responsive institutions.

Isokpunwu cited Nigeria’s implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Nigeria East-Southern Africa Agro Corridor and the Nigeria Trade Information Portal as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s trade infrastructure.

He said the assessment should identify gaps in coordination, information, standards, logistics and trade support services and provide solutions capable of converting market opportunities into actual exports, jobs and enterprise growth.

He particularly urged attention to MSMEs, women-owned businesses and other underserved enterprises, which he said often face disproportionate barriers to finance, certification, technology, logistics and international markets.

The Permanent Secretary also urged participants to “speak truth to government”, stressing that the exercise must move from recommendations to measurable results.

The Acting Chargé d’Affaires, Counsellor and Head of Development Cooperation at the High Commission of Canada, Arash Iratana, said Canada was supporting Nigerian enterprises to become more competitive, resilient and export-ready.

He said the project would combine capacity building, market connections, digital capabilities and climate resilience, with particular attention to women-owned and women-led businesses.

Iratana said barriers to finance, training, networks and market access continued to limit entrepreneurs, adding that helping Nigerian businesses secure new buyers and enter new markets would generate jobs, strengthen local supply chains and deepen commercial ties between Nigeria and Canada.

A representative of the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) called for stronger regulatory capacity, funding for testing and conformity assessments, improved infrastructure and greater access to internationally recognised laboratories.

He also stressed closer collaboration between regulators and the private sector, saying exporters’ experiences should inform regulatory reforms and institutional capacity-building programmes.

According to him, aligning Nigeria’s regulatory approaches, standards and conformity assessment systems with international markets would reduce technical barriers to trade and improve market access for Nigerian businesses.

The Permanent Secretary subsequently launched the TRISEG Project on behalf of the Minister, with representatives of government agencies, business organisations, development partners and women-focused groups participating.

Obegolu said ACCI would provide the institutional platform needed to make the partnership successful, stressing that TRISEG should not become “another project” but should strengthen the wider ecosystem supporting Nigerian businesses.

He urged stakeholders to leave the validation exercise with clear priorities and actionable recommendations capable of producing tangible results for Nigerian enterprises.