Creating strong digital footprints to connect West African businesses

West Africa holds enormous trade potential within the region. The ITC West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) created a Business Matchmaking platform so that entrepreneurs can identify potential trading partners across the region. 

Our latest workshop showed trade groups from Nigeria, Gambia, Liberia, Ghana, and Sierra Leone how to get businesses onto the platform. They learned to verify company listings and then create professional product photos and descriptions that inspire confidence among potential partners. 

The workshop in Freetown, Sierra Leone is an important step for linking businesses within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). 

Trade promotion organizations from the five countries also created or updated their own profiles on the platform.  

‘The WACOMP Business Matchmaking Platform is a game changer for firms, especially trade promotion organizations, enabling seamless cross-border connections,’ said Edward Sandy, Executive Director of the Sierra Leone National Investment Board. ‘Businesses can overcome barriers, expand networks, and tap into global opportunities. The future of trade in West Africa is digital, and it starts with this platform.’ 

The workshop, organized by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the ECOWAS Commission, showed the trade groups how to verify firms within their networks. By verifying the businesses, they build credibility, which is critical for expanding partnerships and accessing new markets. 

Introduction to AI tools: A game-changer for small businesses

Participants learned to use artificial intelligence tools to generate compelling texts and to design logos and product visuals. These tools enable businesses to produce attractive, professional-looking marketing materials without extensive resources.

They then learned how to guide firms in creating compelling profiles on the WACOMP Business matchmaking platform. These profiles serve as a key component in connecting firms with business partners across the region. Training sessions included practical exercises on creating business profiles, uploading professional product images, and developing effective marketing text for online visibility.

‘The training of trainers workshop is a promise kept! An incredible transfer of knowledge, skills and capacity for TPOs to increase regional trade,’ said Obidike Evelyn Ifeyinwa, Director of Product Development, Nigeria Export Promotion Council.

In an e-commerce photography segment, attendees learned to use their smartphones to take professional-quality product photos. These hands-on activities demonstrated how businesses can improve their digital presence without costly equipment.

The workshop marks a significant step in WACOMP Observatory’s mission to improve trade competitiveness across West Africa. As the trade groups return to their countries, they can now guide small businesses in using the WACOMP Business Matchmaking Platform, helping them seize new opportunities in the regional market.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.