Trade experts are urging governments, investors, and stakeholders to strengthen market connectivity for African small businesses by supporting strategic retail linkages and cross-border cooperation to boost exports and economic growth.
Speaking at the launch of the MABA Wholesale and Retail Store and the MABA Saturday Market in Lagos, stakeholders identified limited funding and weak business structures as major barriers hindering the growth of value-added exports from Nigeria and across Africa.
Flora Mbeledeogu, Founder and CEO of Made-in-Africa Brands Ambassador (MABA), highlighted the challenge of visibility for African products in global retail outlets, noting that collaboration among African SMEs could transform this narrative. She explained that the new MABA store serves as an aggregation point for over 10,000 products from more than 1,000 small-scale manufacturers across 30 African countries.
“African SMEs face challenges with visibility, accessibility, and market reach, particularly in fast-moving consumer goods. Unlike foreign brands, their products are rarely seen in major outlets worldwide,” she said.
To address these challenges, Mbeledeogu explained that MABA aggregates and distributes SME products to major retail chains, including Shoprite, Ebeano, and Jendol, with plans to expand distribution across Africa and into international markets. She added that the store exclusively sells locally produced goods, including agricultural commodities, FMCGs, skincare, and natural food items.
“We aim to boost intra-African trade and increase exports while reducing imports by building globally competitive products that meet NAFDAC, ISO, HACCP, and US FDA standards,” she said, adding that the goal is to attract foreign buyers and promote authentic African products globally.
Professor Uchenna Uzo, Director of the Africa Retail Academy at Lagos Business School, called on African governments and financial institutions to develop improved systems for funding SMEs, stressing that many small businesses produce quality goods but lack access to markets.
“What MABA is doing demonstrates that market access can be created. Our financial institutions need to do a better job supporting SMEs with creative funding models to transform businesses,” he said.
SME operators praised MABA’s cooperative approach to addressing market access challenges through partnerships, visibility, and regional networking. Rita Akpanette, CEO of Rimallis Apparels in Uyo, noted that MABA enabled her garment factory to partner directly with cotton producers within the MABA network, enhancing her ability to source materials locally and export finished designs.
“Without MABA, I wouldn’t have had access to these opportunities and networks. Now, we can send our goods to the MABA store for sales and distribution,” she said.
Amina Izuagbe, CEO of Amineru Nigeria Enterprises Ltd in Benin City, described the store as a groundbreaking platform designed for wholesale buyers and international exports, rather than small-scale retail.
“This kind of store has never existed here. The goal is to secure large orders from supermarket chains and global buyers,” she said, urging the government to support efforts to connect African businesses with international markets.
Funmilayo Agbontaen, CEO of Famaad Foods Ltd, described the store as a stepping stone for global visibility, emphasising that MABA’s quality checks and aggregation model ensure only premium, natural products reach consumers worldwide.
“MABA is helping us gain traction and visibility beyond sales,” she said.
Similarly, Amina Sani-Muhammed, CEO of Minbibs Multi Trade and producer of Zobolicious drinks in Lagos, described the store as a shift from retail to wholesale-level trading.
“We are expecting large orders from within Nigeria and from countries like Ghana to the US. MABA is positioning us for that,” she said.
The MABA community now connects small-scale manufacturers across 30 African countries, providing a structured path for value-added goods to enter intra-African trade channels and global markets.
