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Nigeria holds an estimated $32 million in unrealized export potential to the United Kingdom, finds the International Trade Centre (ITC). Yet only 15 percent of women entrepreneurs participate in formal exports.

From 18 – 20 November, ITC and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), host of the SheTrades Nigeria Hub, are organizing a UK trade mission to Abuja, Nigeria. This event is part of the UK government-funded SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme, an initiative aimed at boosting inclusive trade and expanding market access for women-led businesses.

The mission connects 12 UK importers with 30 Nigerian women-led businesses in the agrifood and beauty sectors. Through curated one-on-one business meetings and visits to business sites, the mission aims to unlock new export opportunities for women-led businesses, provide UK buyers with high-quality products and suppliers and strengthen trade ties between Nigeria and the UK. The mission aims to support women entrepreneurs to take full advantage of the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which offers duty-free, quota-free access to the UK market for at least 92% of Nigerian products.

NEPC Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nonye Ayeni and British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Lever OBE opened the trade mission event with welcome remarks.

“The best man for the job is a woman because women are resilient, dogged and determined. We have the spirit that never says die. Women!!! Nothing dies in our hands,” said Ayeni of NEPC.

British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria Gill Lever OBE said: “The UK is committed to supporting Nigerian women entrepreneurs to access international markets and grow their businesses. This SheTrades mission demonstrates the enormous potential for Nigerian agrifood and beauty products in the UK market. By connecting talented women-led businesses directly with UK buyers, we’re building the inclusive economic partnerships that will drive prosperity for both our countries. The success we’ve already seen—with over $300,000 in sales generated—shows what’s possible when we unlock opportunities for women in trade.”

“The potential for Nigerian women-led businesses and their products to enter the UK markets is truly immense. This trade mission is about building bridges, connecting these talented women entrepreneurs with potential buyers and providing them a platform to flourish. There is a real appetite for Nigerian agrifood and beauty products in the UK, and this is the right moment for the women to seize those market opportunities,” said Michelle Kristy, ITC Programme Manager of the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme.

This trade mission follows the successful participation of five Nigerian women-led businesses at Halal Expo Manchester and a series of business-to-business meetings in the UK, held in June under the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme. Three participants secured orders from UK buyers, highlighting the strong export potential of Nigerian women-led businesses. In parallel, ITC, Nigeria’s Bureau of Public Procurement and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) are finalizing an affirmative procurement policy to promote the participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups in public tenders. ITC’s support focuses on inclusive measures, a strong implementation and M&E framework, and upcoming consultations, capacity building and policy dialogue.

About the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme

Financed by UK International Development and launched in April 2018, the ITC SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme aims to foster an enabling gender-inclusive business ecosystem by promoting inclusive policy and data and engaging business support organizations, private-sector partners, and women-led businesses (WLBs) in the Commonwealth countries and their key trading partners.

Since 2019, the SheTrades Commonwealth Programme has worked with the Government of Nigeria, including the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development, and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), to promote inclusive trade and strengthen women-led businesses (WLBs). The partnership began with the rollout of SheTrades Outlook in Nigeria, which has since guided joint work on an inclusive public procurement policy through advisory, national consultations and policy dialogues. Between 2024 and 2025, the Programme boosted the competitiveness of Nigerian WLBs through training for over 1,000 entrepreneurs in digital marketing, branding, and internationalization, and supported shea enterprises toward certification and audit readiness. The maiden HerShowcase Abuja, organized with NEPC, brought together over 75 WLBs to showcase products, connect with buyers, and explore export opportunities under the UK Developing Countries Trading Scheme. Participation in trade events such as Beauty Istanbul, the Manchester Trade Mission, and the SheTrades Buyer–Seller Connect and Halal Expo generated over $300,000 in sales and leads. The SheTrades Nigeria Hub, hosted by NEPC, continues to strengthen its leadership and business facilitation capacity while sharing best practices across the global network of 21 SheTrades Hubs.

About the Nigerian Export Promotion Council

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) is an Agency of the Federal Government responsible for the development and promotion of export trade. NEPC was established through Decree 26 of 1976. NEPC has, over the years, significantly grown the sector to become a key contributor to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through the provision of export intervention projects and programmes, especially for Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs).