The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria has supported a vibrant delegation of women and youth-led businesses to participate in BIASHARA AFRIKA 2026 held in Lomé, Togo, reinforcing its commitment to inclusive trade, entrepreneurship, and economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The participation was facilitated through UNDP Nigeria’s #HerAfCFTA initiative, a programme designed to strengthen women-owned and youth-led enterprises by improving their access to regional markets, investment opportunities, production scaling, and competitive participation in intra-African trade.
BIASHARA AFRIKA 2026 convened entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, manufacturers, trade institutions, and buyers from across Africa to accelerate commerce, industrialization, and cross-border collaboration on the continent. For Nigerian businesses, the event provided a strategic platform to showcase locally made products, establish regional partnerships, gain market intelligence, and position their brands within Africa’s growing single market of more than 1.4 billion people.
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The Nigerian delegation highlighted the innovation, resilience, and export potential within the country’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, with representation across fashion, agribusiness, food processing, beauty, wellness, and creative manufacturing industries.
Participating businesses included:
- Xpressionalé Designs, an African fashion brand promoting indigenous textiles such as Adire through wearable art and vocational empowerment.
- Zone A Limited, a Nigerian fashion manufacturing company producing handmade bags, footwear, and accessories using African fabrics and leather.
- House of Helizah, a contemporary African luxury fashion brand known for handcrafted Adire and Asooke collections
- Jodriela Concepts Limited, a food processing company producing healthy shelf-stable products sourced from local farmers through sustainable systems.
- Joeyemmy Ventures Nigeria Limited, producers of natural food products including healthy seasonings, ginger tea, and nutritious food blends.
- Jaunty Natural Organics Ltd, an export-focused company producing plant-based food and skincare products with international certifications and private-label capabilities.
- Dr Purejoie Skincare, a doctor-developed Nigerian skincare brand combining locally sourced botanicals with globally competitive manufacturing standards.
- Moreni Woman, a contemporary fashion label focused on scalable African fashion and regional retail expansion.
- Granels Manufacturing Limited (Damife Naturals), a sustainable beauty company producing plant-based skincare solutions from ethically sourced African ingredients.
- Mayal Agricultural Services Co. Ltd, an agribusiness company advancing food security and agricultural value-chain development through locally processed food products.
UNDP Nigeria also facilitated strategic engagements between participating entrepreneurs and distributors, buyers, investors, and industry stakeholders across the continent. Through the platform, businesses explored export opportunities, deepened their understanding of AfCFTA-enabled market access, gained insights into regional consumer behavior, and established long-term partnerships in retail, manufacturing, private-label production, and regional value-chain integration.
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Through initiatives such as #HerAfCFTA, UNDP Nigeria continues to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems, expand trade access, and position Nigerian MSMEs as key drivers of industrialization, innovation, job creation, and inclusive economic growth across Africa.
As AfCFTA implementation continues to accelerate, platforms like BIASHARA AFRIKA are expected to play an increasingly critical role in connecting African producers to African markets, reducing trade barriers, and unlocking the vast potential of intra-African commerce.
source: UNDP.ORG
