More than 80 women entrepreneurs converged in Lagos for SheConnectsAfrica 2025, a 3-day intensive workshop between August 6 and 8, designed to equip women-led businesses with the knowledge and tools to participate fully in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The programme combined expert-led sessions, group activities, and targeted business clinics to help participants strengthen business structures, navigate trade regulations, and prepare for export within Africa’s integrated market.
“We designed this workshop to be deeply practical,” said a representative of GIZ. “From understanding tariff structures to accessing finance, we ensured that women entrepreneurs were left with actionable tools to scale their businesses beyond borders.”
Discussions covered a broad spectrum of issues: trade in goods and services, registration processes, tax compliance, AfCFTA tariff schedules, digital trust and data protection, and the role of women-led clusters and platforms in building inclusive value chains.
A major highlight was the hands-on support offered at business clinics. The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) resolved long-standing registration and compliance challenges on the spot, while Parallex Bank walked participants through SME loan options, financial planning, and credit access. The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) also provided guidance on becoming tax-compliant to unlock both public and private funding opportunities.
One participant shared: “I’ve had issues with my business registration for over a year. CAC helped me fix it in one day. That alone made this workshop worth attending.”
The event featured a strong lineup of facilitators and speakers, including representatives from the Bank of Industry (BOI), SMEDAN, NEPC, Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), as well as seasoned women entrepreneurs who recounted their journeys in navigating trade and scaling businesses.
SheConnectsAfrica is funded by Germany through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, under the Support to the ECOWAS Commission in the Implementation of the AfCFTA Programme. The initiative is delivered in collaboration with the ECOWAS Agricultural Trade Programme and Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI).
“We are proud to support initiatives like SheConnectsAfrica that champion inclusive trade,” said Bernard Tayoh, Head of Programme, GIZ Support to the ECOWAS Commission. “When women thrive, economies thrive.”
The workshop ended with participants drafting action plans to formalise their businesses and tap into AfCFTA-driven opportunities. Many described the experience as transformative, practical, and inspiring, praising the immediate solutions and future pathways it unlocked.
