GIZ Champions Regional Trade As WTO Launches Tradeconnect 
The CEO of Avila Nigeria, Temitope Mayegun, has called for improvement in infrastructure, digitalisation in borders in Africa and access to information to boost trade.
  
Mayegun made the call at the inaugural edition of TradeConnect, a two-day programme tha  spotlighted the strategic leadership of Germany through GIZ in empowering Nigeria’s next generation of exporters under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
   
Organised by WTO Young Trade Leader, Eric Andrew, in collaboration with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and GIZ, the programme equipped 50 young entrepreneurs with the skills, tools, and networks needed to thrive in global markets.
   
Mayegun said: “There is need for Nigeria to improve on information and there is need for the government to invest in officials involved in export process because there are so many officials that claim ignorance of so many things.
  
“Some borders are still operating manually, many are not lit up and the roads are bad; there is a lot of improvement in Nigeria when it comes to trade facilitation but there is need to invest in infrastructure and capacity training. 
 
“If African leaders can simplify the movement of goods and people within the continent, it will be easy to come up with one currency and improve trade. We don’t need the bottlenecks and the leaders should understand that we are one.”

Speaking during the opening session, the GIZ Head of Support Project to the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) in the implementation of AfCFTA, Bernard Tayoh, emphasised the programme’s alignment with GIZ’s ongoing support to the ECOWAS commission on AfCFTA implementation.
   
“Trade is more than economic growth; it is transformation. Through our ECOWAS AfCFTA support project, we are committed to breaking barriers for young businesses. TradeConnect is exactly the kind of initiative that brings the benefits of targeted trade policy to life, empowering real people with real tools to access real markets,” Tayoh said.
  
In his address, Eric Andrew, said: “As a WTO Young Trade Leader, my mission is to localise global trade knowledge and connect Nigerian entrepreneurs to international opportunities. TradeConnect is our way of saying Nigerian youth are ready, and with the right support, we can compete globally and win.”

Throughout the two days, participants received hands-on training on international trade regulations, market access strategies, export branding, compliance standards, trade finance, and digital tools. 
  
A participant and team lead, Farmcas, Eze Chidinma Mary, shared her excitement: “It’s been amazing particularly for the opportunity to connect with various stakeholders who are involved in the process of export. As an agropreneur, I have experienced quite some bottlenecks exporting. With what I have learnt in this programme, I am better empowered.”