SheConnectsAfrica 2025 workshop empowered over 80 women entrepreneurs in Lagos with trade tools to grow across borders under the AfCFTA agreement

SheConnectsAfrica 2025 workshop brought together over 80 dynamic women entrepreneurs in Lagos from August 6 to 8 for a powerful three-day training focused on unlocking cross-border trade opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Also read: Enugu State Women Empowerment Project Gains Momentum with Loan Agreement Signing

The hands-on programme offered expert-led sessions, business clinics, and practical group exercises, equipping participants with skills to scale their enterprises beyond local borders.

“We designed this workshop to be deeply practical. From understanding tariff structures to accessing finance, we ensured that women entrepreneurs left with actionable tools,” organisers stated.

Topics covered included trade in goods and services, business registration, tax compliance, and how to navigate AfCFTA’s regulatory and tariff systems.

Special emphasis was also placed on data protection, vital in building trust within Africa’s growing digital economy.

The workshop didn’t stop at theory. On-site, real-time support was provided by key agencies:

• The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) resolved long-standing business registration issues.
• Parallex Bank offered SME loan guidance and credit access insights.
• The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) provided strategies for becoming tax-compliant.

“I’ve had issues with my business registration for over a year. CAC helped me fix it in one day,” one participant said. “That alone made this workshop worth attending.”

High-level facilitators from institutions such as the Bank of Industry, SMEDAN, the Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Nigeria Customs Service, and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission joined accomplished women entrepreneurs to share actionable insights and real-world strategies.

“We are proud to support initiatives like SheConnectsAfrica that champion inclusive trade. When women thrive, economies thrive,” said Bernard Tayoh, Head of Programme at GIZ Support to the ECOWAS Commission.

Funded by the German government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by GIZ, the programme operates in collaboration with the ECOWAS Agricultural Trade Programme and Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

Also read: APWEN Launches Empowering Consultancy Apprenticeship Programme

The workshop concluded with each participant crafting action plans to formalise their business structures and enter African export markets. For many, the experience was more than educational—it was transformational.