Kigali, Rwanda – The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the AeTrade Group signed a landmark agreement at the Biashara Afrika conference to empower small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women, and youth in the region.
Professor Fatou Sow Sarr, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, and Mulualem Syoum, CEO of AeTrade Group, formalized the partnership on the sidelines of the conference. This collaboration aims to improve market access for these groups through AeTrade Group’s digital platforms, including Sokokuu.Africa and 50MAWSP.
The agreement is expected to accelerate digital and financial inclusion, facilitate job creation, and boost intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The signing ceremony follows a strategic meeting held earlier in October at AeTrade Group’s headquarters. Representatives from COMESA, the EAC Secretariat, and ECOWAS participated in the discussions, both virtually and in person.
Professor Sarr used the meeting to highlight the 50 Million African Women Speak Platform (50MAWSP) and the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre’s (EGDC) vision for the initiative’s long-term success in the region.
In turn, AeTrade Group showcased its integrated business ecosystem, including the Sokokuu.Africa platform. This platform boasts a robust set of tools designed to support the growth of MSMEs, enhance their competitiveness, and promote “Made in Africa” products in local and global markets.
The AeTrade Group has already made significant progress in establishing a digital trade infrastructure. Over the past year, they have onboarded more than 330 partners onto their online marketplace, Sokokuu.Africa, specifically focusing on increasing the visibility and export readiness of women and youth-led businesses. This “shared prosperity model” encourages further participation in this inclusive and sustainable program.
AeTrade Group plans to implement an innovative program in Rwanda that utilizes advanced tools for financial and digital inclusion. This initiative aims to scale up job creation and youth entrepreneurship within the agricultural sector’s regional value chains, a key priority in the continent’s Action Plan for strengthening food systems.
The partnership emphasizes capacity building for marginalized groups in the ECOWAS region. This includes MSMEs, women, youth, and rural communities, all positioned to benefit from the opportunities presented by the AfCFTA.
