In an effort to transform Lagos-based businesses into globally competitive exporters, the state government has launched the Lagos SMEs Export Readiness Programme (LASERP) for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
The initiative is in partnership with AfreximBank and ImpactHER. The aim is to build wealth, create jobs, and amplify Lagos State and Nigeria’s economic prosperity.
Already, a total of 253 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have been shortlisted for the programme, enabling them to scale their businesses beyond national borders under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
At the unveiling of the scheme in Lagos on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment in Lagos, Mrs Folashade Bada Ambrose, said, “The concept of export readiness is not just a trending term but an economic imperative.
“In an era marked by regional integration and AfCFTA operationalisation, we cannot afford to keep our vibrant enterprises confined to domestic markets.
“Our MSMEs must evolve from local champions to continental contenders. Nigeria, and Lagos State, in particular, has long been regarded as the economic engine of West Africa.
“But, being an engine is not enough if we are not propelling forward. This programme is the vehicle that will drive us into new markets, beyond borders, and into the centre of intra-African commerce.”
Expressing appreciation to Afreximbank and ImpactHER for their collaboration, commitment to facilitating trade and industrialisation across Africa, and empowerment of women-led businesses on the continent, the Commissioner noted that the week-long training has been meticulously designed to demystify the export process, build practical skills, and create a clear pathway to cross-border trade participation.
She stated that the training starting from Friday, July 4, 2025, will offer participants the opportunity to be immersed in high-value sessions covering export documentation and regulatory compliance, product packaging and labelling standards for international markets, trade finance and export credit guarantees, understanding logistics, customs, and border procedures, market entry strategies, especially under the AfCFTA, digital trade and e-commerce opportunities and gender-responsive exporting for women-led MSMEs.
“At the end of this training, 20 outstanding participants will be selected to represent Lagos at the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) scheduled to hold in Algiers, Algeria, in September 2025.
“The Fair is a gateway to over 1.3 billion consumers and provides a chance to engage buyers, investors, partners, and policy influencers from across the continent. Our selected trainees will become Lagos’ Export Ambassadors,” she said.
In his remarks, the Director for SME Development at AfreximBank, Mr Ody Akhanoba, explained that empowering SMEs with the resources they need via capacity training presents a significant opportunity to increase Africa’s share of exports.
“We are at the edge of turning on the SME’s capacity to be more competitive in the market. With that in mind, we have taken concrete steps to promote the participation of SMEs in the African landscape through strategic interventions, such as facilitating trade and finance, capacity building, and market access,” he added.
He disclosed that the bank has contributed significantly to providing training capacity to over 3,000 African SMEs through tailored incubator and accelerator programmes similar to the newly launched Lagos State/AfreximBank Accelerator Programme.
Also, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Dr Olugbenga Aina, described the Accelerator Programme for SMEs as another first that would help to equip Lagos-based SMEs with the necessary technical tools they desire to scale them up to the next level.
Also speaking, the representative of ImpactHER’s founder, Clementina Uzogor, explained that the six-week training programme, comprising four weeks of training and two weeks of mentorship, is meant to enhance and scale participants’ export businesses and provide a platform to network with trade experts and other Nigerian WSMEs.