- By promoting e-commerce expertise, the International Trade Center (ITC) has been cleared for West African agribus businesses to thrive outside the borders.
- The ITC initiative offers tips on digital marketing, online payments, shipping logistics and customer service, promoting a cooperation spirit across the borders.
- For many players, poor online visibility, limited access to e-commerce and insufficient digital skills that suffocate growth and limit trade opportunities within ECOWAs.
In the fertile areas of Nigeria and Ivory Coast of the Ivory Coast, small Agribusiness dreams to reach regional markets, but limited digital skills and scarce access to online platforms, they stick to local sales.
To unlock their potential, the International Trade Center (ITC) has launched a transforming initiative in the context of its Ecowas Agricultural Trade (EAT) program, which means that local advisers and institutions are equipped to lead these companies to the digital age.
By promoting e-commerce expertise, ITC has been cleared for West African agribusiness for thriving than boundaries.
A regional training revolution
In April 2025, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, organized a crucial five-day training of trainers, who brought six newly appointed e-commerce advisors from every country and eight representatives of important business support organizations.
Participants from Nigeria’s National Association of Nigerian Traders (Nants) and Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Alongside Côte d’IVOIRE’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-CI) and National Chamber of Agricultum (CNA-CI), 30ssed ThemeSWERD Agribusinesses – 15 per country – to Master Online Trade.
The workshop, rich in interactive case studies and peer learning, covered digital marketing, online payments, shipping logistics and customer service, promoting a cooperation spirit for boundaries.
Ibrahima Bamba, agricultural advisor at the National Chamber of Agriculture or Côte d’IVOire, emphasized the impact of the training: “In my opinion, agro-processors need this practical training to increase their visibility.”
Likewise, Anuoluwo Odubanjo, a Nigerian e-commerce advisor, expressed the willingness to make a difference: “Thanks to this training I am ready to support Agribusiness in developing tailor-made e-commerce strategies of choosing the right platforms to manage the right platforms to manage the right platforms”
Building local champions
The strategic selection of the ITC from advisors as national champions makes a sustainable impact. These advisors, supported by established institutions, are ready to train national entrepreneurs, to help companies mention on e-commerce platforms and develop usable strategies for market expansion.
The success of the training is already measurable: 11 participants reported significant improvements in skills, leaving concrete action plans to elevate their communities. By investing in local expertise, ITC creates a wrinkle effect, allowing small Agribusinesses to navigate and compete regionally.
West -Africa Agribusiness about overcoming digital obstacles
For many West -African Agribusiness, the digital gap is a formidable barrier. Poor online visibility, limited access to e-commerce and insufficient digital skills suffer the growth and limit trade opportunities within the Economic Community of West African states (Ecowas). ITCs EAT program, launched in 2018, will take on these challenges by building digital capacity and promoting trade-ready companies.
The Abidjan workshop marks an important step, promoting cross-border cooperation and the rest of participants with tools to bridge these gaps.
A vision of inclusive growth
The ITC initiative is more than a training program – it is a blueprint for a digitally connected agricultural economy. By enabling 30 Agribusinesses to go online, the program lays the foundation for inclusive growth, giving small -scale farmers and processors access to wider markets.
The focus on practical skills, from navigating online payment systems to optimizing logistics, ensures that companies can compete in a digital first world. While advisers such as Odubanjo and Bamba roll out their action plans, they are ready to transform rural economies, to stimulate visibility and sale agro -processors About Nigeria and Côte d’I IJire.
Since its foundation, the EAT program has worked tirelessly to close digital gap and to promote regional trade in West Africa. The Abidjan training builds on this inheritance and creates a network of advisers and institutions that are ready to stimulate change.
While these newly trained champions return to their communities, they wear the tools to help Agribusiness thrive in e-commerce, from offering products online to managing cross-border sales. With the support of ITC, the agricultural sector of West -Africa is ready for a digital Renaissance, which unlocking new opportunities for growth and prosperity.
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