Women-owned businesses and other under-represented enterprises are expected to account for 67 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises targeted for support under a new trade development initiative launched by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada.
The five-year Trade for Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth (TRISEG) Project, launched in Abuja on Thursday, October 8, 2026, is designed to improve the capacity of Nigerian businesses to compete in international markets through institutional strengthening, export development and targeted enterprise support.
The programme will directly target 200 SMEs in Nigeria, with women-owned and women-led businesses and other under-represented groups accounting for 67 per cent of the beneficiaries.
Across its 16 participating developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the initiative aims to reach 3,200 SMEs, including 2,133 enterprises owned or led by women and other under-represented groups.
Funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, the project will run from 2025 to 2030 and is being implemented by TFO Canada.
Speaking at the launch, ACCI President, Chief Emeka Obegolu, SAN, PhD, said the initiative would help address barriers preventing Nigerian businesses from reaching their full potential, particularly by strengthening the institutions responsible for providing trade-related support.
Obegolu said expanding economic opportunities required not only the establishment of businesses but also the development of institutional structures and services that enable enterprises to grow, remain resilient and compete beyond domestic markets.
“TRISEG provides an opportunity to strengthen the capacity of Trade Support Institutions to deliver more inclusive and gender-responsive services,” he said.
He explained that the project would support a more enabling business environment by improving the ability of Trade Support Institutions to respond to the needs of SMEs, particularly businesses that face additional barriers to accessing finance, information and international markets.
A key component of the initiative is the SME Climate Resilience Fund, which will provide selected businesses with technical assistance, digital resources, training, capacity building and support for developing investment plans.
The intervention is intended to help SMEs integrate environmental sustainability into their operations while improving their preparedness for climate-related risks.
Obegolu said the climate resilience component was important as businesses increasingly needed to combine profitability with sustainable practices and long-term operational stability.
The ACCI president also called for stronger collaboration among SMEs, financial institutions, Trade Support Institutions and international buyers, stressing that businesses needed practical connections and support systems to translate export ambitions into commercial opportunities.
He urged stakeholders to identify workable solutions to institutional weaknesses, financing constraints, gaps in digitalisation and inadequate capacity development during the Stakeholder Validation Workshop on the Nigeria Export Market Analysis and Institutional Capacity Assessment, held alongside the project launch.
According to him, the assessment should provide a basis for interventions with measurable results rather than end with the presentation and validation of findings.
Also speaking, the First Deputy President of ACCI and Chairman of the chamber’s Business Entrepreneurship, Skills and Technology (BEST) Centre, Prof. Adesoji Adesugba, said the partnership with TFO Canada had supported efforts to build the capacity of women entrepreneurs and SME owners through training, mentorship and sustained engagement.
He described TFO Canada as a trusted partner, expressing confidence that the TRISEG initiative would deepen the collaboration and create additional opportunities for women-led businesses.
The Director-General of ACCI, Mr Agabaidu Jideani, said the project would strengthen the capacity of Trade Support Institutions to provide gender-responsive services, including market intelligence, business coaching, export development, digital strategies and connections with Canadian and other international buyers.
Jideani said sustained partnerships among government institutions, development organisations and the private sector were necessary to improve the competitiveness of SMEs and expand economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
TFO Canada Executive Director, Steve Tipman, said the organisation was committed to helping Nigerian SMEs improve their export readiness and access new opportunities in international markets.
He described the initiative as a continuation of TFO Canada’s longstanding collaboration with Nigerian institutions and Global Affairs Canada.
The organisation will also provide updated trade information through its online platform, with an expected reach of more than 5,550 SME beneficiaries across participating countries.
The TRISEG Project involves Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras and Peru.
The launch brought together representatives of government agencies, financial institutions, development partners, business associations, private-sector organisations and institutions supporting women and other under-represented groups.
ACCI said it would work with TFO Canada and other stakeholders to ensure that the initiative delivers sustainable benefits to Nigerian SMEs, with particular attention to women-led enterprises and businesses that have traditionally faced barriers to participating in international trade.
