African Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are collectively forfeiting an estimated $38 billion in export opportunities every year, a staggering loss that contributes to the continent’s marginal 3% share of total global trade volume. According to Professor Benard Odoh, CEO/Founder of Valcertra, this huge financial gap isn’t caused by a lack of quality products, but rather a catastrophic breakdown of trust and reliability along the trade chain.
Speaking at the Valcertra Business Summit in Abuja, Prof. Odoh pinpointed the core systemic issues: “Nearly 70 per cent of African producers, who attempted to export never succeeded… not for lack of effort or quality, but because the pathways to global markets remain unreliable, opaque and slow.”
Systemic Bottlenecks Block Global Markets
The estimated $38 billion loss is directly attributed to critical structural failures, including:
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Trust Erosion: Product rejections, inconsistent standards, and documentation gaps.
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Infrastructure Weakness: Weak export infrastructure and fragmented systems.
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Regulatory Barriers: Structural and regulatory constraints that slow down trade.
Despite these challenges, global demand for African products—from cashew, cocoa, and ginger to leather and spices—is stronger than ever. What is critically missing, according to Odoh, is a “single trusted gateway” that guarantees compliance, traceability, and predictable delivery.
Valcertra: Africa’s First Verified Export Gateway
To address this monumental challenge, the digital trade platform Valcertra will be formally launched in early 2026.10 Designed as Africa’s first full-stack trade infrastructure, the platform aims to be Nigeria’s verified export gateway, directly connecting African manufacturers, farmers, and traders to global buyers in the UAE, UK, USA, and Canada.
Key features of the platform include:
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Compliance: Ensures products meet international standards.
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AfCFTA Alignment: Complies with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) requirement of a minimum 40% local value transformation for export goods.
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Validation: Engaged by institutions like the Bank of Industry (BoI) to provide value-adding certifications and validation to businesses seeking export funding.
The Role of Financial Institutions
The Bank of Industry (BoI) reiterated its commitment to promoting local businesses with export capabilities. Dr. Emmanuel Ojowuro, Group Head of Product Development and Innovation at BoI, stressed that the bank’s financing is not indiscriminate. BoI strictly funds products that comply with health and export requirements, stating that the engagement with Valcertra is crucial to ensure all financed businesses meet specified standards, further cementing Nigeria’s commitment to quality in global trade.
