csrreporters 
Over 80 women entrepreneurs convened in Lagos from August 6–8, 2025, for SheConnectsAfrica, a three-day capacity-building workshop aimed at unlocking cross-border trade opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The programme combined expert-led sessions, practical exercises, and targeted business clinics to equip women-led enterprises with the knowledge and tools to structure their businesses, navigate regulatory frameworks, and position for export within Africa’s integrated market.
“We designed this workshop to be deeply practical. From understanding tariff structures to accessing finance, we ensured participants left with actionable strategies to scale beyond borders,” the organisers said in a statement.
Participants explored topics including trade in goods and services, business registration, tax compliance, AfCFTA tariff schedules, and data protection in the digital economy. The business clinics provided immediate solutions:
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC): resolved long-standing registration and compliance issues.
Parallex Bank: guided entrepreneurs on SME loans, financial planning, and access to credit.
Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS): advised on tax compliance to unlock 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 drew contributions from the Bank of Industry, SMEDAN, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and successful women entrepreneurs who shared first-hand experiences of growing across borders.
Head of Programme at GIZ Support to the ECOWAS Commission, Bernard Tayoh, noted: “We are proud to support initiatives like SheConnectsAfrica that champion inclusive trade. When women thrive, economies thrive.”
Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ in collaboration with the ECOWAS Agricultural Trade Programme and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the workshop ended with participants drafting concrete action plans to formalise businesses and seize AfCFTA opportunities.
Many described the experience as “eye-opening and transformative,” marking it as a turning point for women entrepreneurs aspiring to scale across Africa.
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