The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) have wrapped up a three-day UK trade mission in Abuja aimed at expanding export opportunities for women-led businesses in Nigeria.

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Held from 18 to 20 November under the UK-funded SheTrades Commonwealth Plus Programme, the mission brought 12 UK importers together with 30 Nigerian women-led firms in the agrifood and beauty sectors. The goal was simple: connect quality producers with buyers and turn Nigeria’s untapped export potential into real trade.

Nigeria has an estimated 32 million dollars in unrealized export opportunities to the United Kingdom, according to ITC, yet only 15 percent of women entrepreneurs currently participate in formal exports.

Through one-on-one meetings and site visits, UK buyers explored Nigerian products that qualify for duty-free, quota-free access under the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme. Organizers say this access gives women-led enterprises a strong opening to scale their exports and reach new customers.

NEPC Executive Director and CEO Nonye Ayeni opened the event with a call to back women in trade. British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria Gill Lever OBE echoed that message, noting that more than 300,000 dollars in sales has already been generated through SheTrades activities this year. “By connecting talented women-led businesses directly with UK buyers, we are building inclusive economic partnerships that drive prosperity for both countries,” she said.

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Michelle Kristy, ITC Programme Manager for SheTrades Commonwealth Plus, said demand in the UK for Nigerian agrifood and beauty products is rising. “This mission is about building bridges and giving women a platform to grow,” she said.

The Abuja mission follows Nigeria’s participation in Halal Expo Manchester and B2B meetings in the UK earlier in the year, where three Nigerian women-led firms secured orders from UK buyers.

Alongside trade promotion, ITC is working with Nigeria’s Bureau of Public Procurement and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to finalize an affirmative procurement policy that will expand access to public tenders for women, youth, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups.

Since 2019, the SheTrades Commonwealth Programme has supported Nigeria through targeted training, export readiness initiatives, and policy work. Between 2024 and 2025 alone, the programme has trained more than 1,000 women entrepreneurs, supported shea enterprises through certification processes, and generated more than 300,000 dollars in sales and leads through trade events.

The SheTrades Nigeria Hub, hosted by NEPC, continues to link women-led businesses with markets and share best practices across a global network of 21 hubs.

NEPC, established in 1976, leads Nigeria’s export development efforts and has played a central role in strengthening the contribution of small and medium enterprises to national export growth.