New partnerships strengthen West African food businesses
West Africa produces a lot of food, but still struggles with hunger. By guiding small businesses so they can trade across the region, entreprenuers can get their food products to people who need them.
With two new partnerships in Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria, ITC is bringing its suite of small business tools to more entrepreneurs so they can trade better.
Small businesses face an array of challenges. They may not understand the rules of international trade, or they might lack tools to manage their operations effectively. Some need coaching on finance, and some are trying to figure out how to grow.
These are among the challenges that entrepreneurs can identify by using the SME Benchmarking Tool. This diagnostic tool from the International Trade Centre (ITC) evaluates businesses’ capabilities and identifies operational gaps. The system then offers support to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) improve production, digitalize their work, and prepare to apply for export certification.
So that more small businesses can use this tool effectively, the ECOWAS Agricultural Trade Programme (EAT) at ITC teamed up with local business groups. They made new partnerships with the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS), the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Côte d'Ivoire, and the National Chamber of Agriculture of Côte d'Ivoire.
From 26 to 28 November 2024, eight Nigerian consultants attended a workshop in Lagos on how to use the SME Benchmarking Tool, and to apply its methods to small businesses that they work with. To put those new skills into action, they visited three agri-food businesses that make cassava, corn, onion, and rice products. That gave them a chance to run their first diagnostics on the ground.
In Abidjan, 13 Ivorian consultants undertook a similar training from 24 to 27 February 2025. They then made their site visits to businesses that work with pineapple, cassava, corn, and rice.
‘The visits were impactful, offering real-world insights into how diagnostic techniques uncover key business challenges and guide strategic interventions,’ said Nigerian consultant Adeshiola Afariogun stated. ‘They allowed me to see training concepts in action, reinforcing the workshop’s relevance in my context.’
These company visits in both countries highlighted significant growth opportunities, including strong potential for expansion into Europe and neighbours within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The insights from these assessments, jointly conducted by ITC and the new partners, will inform tailored improvement plans to make the businesses more efficient so they can tap into new markets .
About the project
Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the GIZ ECOWAS Agricultural Trade (EAT) Programme is a special One World – No Hunger initiative dedicated to strengthening regional integration through intraregional agricultural trade in the ECOWAS region. GIZ, the leading German development agency, is the main implementing agency, with ITC as partner, collaborating with the ECOWAS Commission with the directorates responsible for agriculture and rural development, trade, customs, free movement of people, and the Gender Development Center. The programme's central objective is to enhance the capacity and services of regional and national organizations, with a particular emphasis on improving agrifood policies, sustainability, gender sensitivity, trade facilitation inclusivity, and active engagement with small businesses and professional associations in the sector.
