Business
Women Key to Africa Achieving its Trading Potential
NAIROBI – African countries have enormous potential for trade with the global market and for more intensive trade among themselves. Regional trade in Africa can play a vital role in diversifying economies and reducing dependence on the export of a few mineral products, in delivering food and energy security, in generating jobs for the increasing numbers of young people, and in alleviating poverty and promoting a shared prosperity.
The new volume—Women and Trade in Africa: Realizing the Potential—demonstrates how women play a key role in trade in Africa and will be essential to Africa’s success in exploiting its trade potential. Women make a major contribution to trade in most African countries through their involvement in the production of tradable goods as cross-border traders and as managers and owners of firms involved in trade.
According to Marcelo M. Giugale, Director, Department of Economic Policy and Poverty Reduction Programs, World Bank Africa Region, “Removing the three main obstacles to regional trade integration in Africa—misregulation, monopolies and corruption—would be particularly beneficial for poor women, as they literally carry most of the small-scale, cross-border commerce that happens within the Region. The potential benefits are huge and obvious: better food security, faster job creation, more poverty reduction, and less gender discrimination. This is a win-win-win-win reform agenda that is ready for action.”
The main messages from the volume call for Governments to recognize the role that women play in trade and ensure this is communicated to officials at all levels; Government should ensure that the rules and regulations governing trade are clear, transparent and widely available at the border. It is important to simplify documents and regulatory requirements where possible. In addition, it is essential to design interventions to develop trade in ways that ensure that women benefit.
Governments and donors are making concerted efforts to facilitate trade, to increase productivity in export-oriented sectors, and to improve competitiveness. But these need to be better targeted to ensure that women who participate in trade are reached by these interventions and that it is not just men who benefit. Finally, help women address the risks they face in their trade-related activities given that they are typically more risk averse than men and respond to risk in different ways.
In many countries in Africa, the majority of small farmers are women, and they produce crops such as maize, cassava, cotton, and rice that have enormous potential for increased trade between African countries and with the global market. Women are also involved in providing services across borders, such as education, health, and professional services, including accountancy and legal services. Hundreds of thousands of women cross borders in Africa every day to deliver goods from areas where they are relatively cheap to areas in which they are in shorter supply.
However, Africa’s trade potential is undermined by constraints that women face. The contribution of women to trade is much less than it could be because of various specific nontariff barriers that impinge particularly heavily on the trade activities of women and women-owned enterprises. These barriers often push women traders and producers into the informal economy where lack of access to finance, information, and networks jeopardize their capacity to grow and develop their business.
In its goal to ensure the equitable distribution of the benefits of integration, and specifically to empower women traders, TradeMark East Africa’s Private Sector and Civil Society Program facilitates programming to increase awareness of the challenges of informal cross border traders and build up knowledge and advocacy for a better trading environment.
Lisa Karanja, Director of the program states that ‘’…these and other deterrent conditions prevent women from taking full advantage of the opportunities created by trade and thus undermine the aspirations of countries in Africa to use trade as a driver of growth, employment, and poverty reduction.”
Yet, policy makers typically overlook women’s contribution to trade and the challenges they face. This neglect reflects, in part, the lack of data and information on women and trade in Africa and also the underrepresentation of small traders and rural producers in trade and trade policy discussions. This volume looks at the ways that women participate in trade in Africa, the constraints they face, and the impact of those constraints.
“The aim of this book is to make available new analysis on the participation of women in trade in Africa to a wide audience, says, Paul Brenton, Editor of the volume and World Bank Africa Trade Practice Leader. It highlights the key role that women will play in achieving Africa’s potential in trade. In addition to raising the profile of this public policy issue, we also hope that it will encourage more research and analysis over a wider range of African countries and so extend the knowledge base.”
NAIROBI– African countries have enormous potential for trade with the global market and for more intensive trade among themselves. Regional trade in Africa can play a vital role in diversifying economies and reducing dependence on the export of a few mineral products, in delivering food and energy security, in generating jobs for the increasing numbers of young people, and in alleviating poverty and promoting a shared prosperity.
The new volume—Women and Trade in Africa: Realizing the Potential—demonstrates how women play a key role in trade in Africa and will be essential to Africa’s success in exploiting its trade potential. Women make a major contribution to trade in most African countries through their involvement in the production of tradable goods as cross-border traders and as managers and owners of firms involved in trade.
According to Marcelo M. Giugale, Director, Department of Economic Policy and Poverty Reduction Programs, World Bank Africa Region, “Removing the three main obstacles to regional trade integration in Africa—misregulation, monopolies and corruption—would be particularly beneficial for poor women, as they literally carry most of the small-scale, cross-border commerce that happens within the Region. The potential benefits are huge and obvious: better food security, faster job creation, more poverty reduction, and less gender discrimination. This is a win-win-win-win reform agenda that is ready for action.”
The main messages from the volume call for Governments to recognize the role that women play in trade and ensure this is communicated to officials at all levels; Government should ensure that the rules and regulations governing trade are clear, transparent and widely available at the border. It is important to simplify documents and regulatory requirements where possible. In addition, it is essential to design interventions to develop trade in ways that ensure that women benefit.
Governments and donors are making concerted efforts to facilitate trade, to increase productivity in export-oriented sectors, and to improve competitiveness. But these need to be better targeted to ensure that women who participate in trade are reached by these interventions and that it is not just men who benefit. Finally, help women address the risks they face in their trade-related activities given that they are typically more risk averse than men and respond to risk in different ways.
In many countries in Africa, the majority of small farmers are women, and they produce crops such as maize, cassava, cotton, and rice that have enormous potential for increased trade between African countries and with the global market. Women are also involved in providing services across borders, such as education, health, and professional services, including accountancy and legal services. Hundreds of thousands of women cross borders in Africa every day to deliver goods from areas where they are relatively cheap to areas in which they are in shorter supply.
However, Africa’s trade potential is undermined by constraints that women face. The contribution of women to trade is much less than it could be because of various specific nontariff barriers that impinge particularly heavily on the trade activities of women and women-owned enterprises. These barriers often push women traders and producers into the informal economy where lack of access to finance, information, and networks jeopardize their capacity to grow and develop their business.
In its goal to ensure the equitable distribution of the benefits of integration, and specifically to empower women traders, TradeMark East Africa’s Private Sector and Civil Society Program facilitates programming to increase awareness of the challenges of informal cross border traders and build up knowledge and advocacy for a better trading environment.
Lisa Karanja, Director of the program states that ‘’…these and other deterrent conditions prevent women from taking full advantage of the opportunities created by trade and thus undermine the aspirations of countries in Africa to use trade as a driver of growth, employment, and poverty reduction.”
Yet, policy makers typically overlook women’s contribution to trade and the challenges they face. This neglect reflects, in part, the lack of data and information on women and trade in Africa and also the underrepresentation of small traders and rural producers in trade and trade policy discussions. This volume looks at the ways that women participate in trade in Africa, the constraints they face, and the impact of those constraints.
“The aim of this book is to make available new analysis on the participation of women in trade in Africa to a wide audience, says, Paul Brenton, Editor of the volume and World Bank Africa Trade Practice Leader. It highlights the key role that women will play in achieving Africa’s potential in trade. In addition to raising the profile of this public policy issue, we also hope that it will encourage more research and analysis over a wider range of African countries and so extend the knowledge base.”
President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has announced that the expansion of the Dangote Refinery to a production capacity of 1.4 million barrels per day will generate employment for no fewer than 95,000 skilled workers at peak construction.
Dangote disclosed this at the weekend in Lagos during his induction as an Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE), describing the project as a major milestone in Nigeria’s industrial transformation.
According to him, the expansion underscores the Group’s continued commitment to engineering excellence, job creation, and sustainable economic growth.
“This award is particularly meaningful because it recognizes what we are doing in the industry, especially our commitment to employing engineers and skilled professionals. At the peak of construction for this expansion, we expect to have about 95,000 skilled workers on site, and we will continue to grow,” Dangote said.
Upon completion, the expanded Dangote Refinery will surpass the Jamnagar Refinery in India to become the largest refinery in the world, significantly strengthening Nigeria’s refining capacity.
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Dangote noted that the project would rely heavily on Nigerian expertise, creating substantial opportunities for engineers, technicians, artisans, and other skilled professionals. He added that the expansion reflects the Group’s long-term vision for industrialization in Nigeria and across Africa.
Beyond employment generation, the refinery expansion is expected to stimulate local manufacturing, enhance technology transfer, and deepen Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain. It will also improve fuel security, reduce dependence on imported petroleum products, and deliver significant foreign exchange savings for the Nigerian economy.
“The scale of this expansion reflects our confidence in Nigerian capacity and our belief that Africa has the ability to build world-class infrastructure that meets global standards,” Dangote stated.
In his remarks, President of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Engr. Prof. Rahamon Bello, described the honour as well deserved, noting that Dangote’s impact transcends physical infrastructure.
“What makes this recognition fitting is not only what has been built, but what has been inspired. Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s journey continues to motivate a new generation of engineers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to think boldly, act decisively, and believe in the immense possibilities within our continent,” Bello said.
Photo Caption
From Left: GED Oil & Gas, Dangote Industries Limited, Fatima Aliko Dangote; GED Operations, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Mariya Aliko Dangote; President/CE, Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote; President, The Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Engr. Prof. Rahamon Bello, at The Nigerian Academy of Engineering Induction of Aliko Dangote as Honorary Fellow in Lagos on Friday, April 24, 2026.
Alleging unbearable and unsustainable aviation fuel prices, domestic operators have set Thursday, April 30, 2026 as the shutdown date of local flights in Nigeria.
According to industry insiders, the airlines had engaged both the Federal Government and oil marketers without a breakthrough, and appeared left with no option but to ground flights from Thursday.
The looming shutdown comes after several complaints by operators, who have watched the price of Jet A1 surge by over 300 per cent compared to February levels, pushing operating costs to the brink.
Passengers, many of whom rely on domestic flights for business and urgent travel, now face uncertainty.
In a bid to avert the crisis, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, convened a meeting with airline operators and fuel marketers in Abuja last week. However, findings indicate that the tripartite talks ended in a deadlock, with operators unwilling to shift their stance unless decisive action is taken.
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At the end of the two-day meeting, the minister announced a 30 percent reduction in aviation-related taxes as part of efforts to ease the burden on airlines. While the gesture was acknowledged, operators insist it falls short of addressing the root problem.
On the first day of the meeting, Vice President of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, Allen Onyema, welcomed the government’s intervention but maintained that fuel marketers must account for the sharp rise in prices.
Onyema said, “This government has helped the industry more than anyone since 1999, and the President is even willing to waive 30 percent of the debts airlines are owing.
“But the truth is that the marketers must be brought to book to explain how they came about the 300 percent increase when even Dangote is surprised because what he is selling to us is still the cheapest.”
At the end of the second day, Onyema issued a stark warning, giving a seven-day ultimatum from midnight last Thursday for action to be taken. “Since the advent of the US-Iran war, there has been a spike in aviation fuel in Nigeria, which we, the Airline Operators of Nigeria, feel is not proportionate to the hike internationally.
“We expect that in the next 48 hours something drastic should be done because no airline will fly in this country in the next seven days if nothing is done, not because they don’t want to fly, but because fuel may not be available to us at sustainable pricing.”
Providing further insight into the financial strain, Onyema disclosed that fuel prices have skyrocketed from about N900 per litre before the crisis to between N2,700 and N2,900, with some marketers selling as high as N3,500.
“Before the crisis, we were buying fuel at about N900 per litre. Now it has risen to between N2,700 and N2,900, with some selling as high as N3,300 to N3,500,” he said.
According to him, airlines are now operating primarily to service fuel costs. “All the airlines in Nigeria have been flying to pay fuel marketers only, and you don’t want to compromise safety,” he added.
Despite speculations about indebtedness, senior airline officials who spoke to our correspondent in confidence on Sunday, due to the sensitive nature of the matter, insisted that operators are up to date with payments to key aviation agencies, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
Consequently, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) have formally requested additional relief measures from the government.
In the letter dated April 21 and signed by AON President Abdulmunaf Sarina, the group called for the immediate suspension of aviation taxes, fees, and charges for at least six months.
The operators argued that the unprecedented rise in fuel costs threatens not only airline operations but also jobs and the stability of the aviation sector. Among other demands, the AON proposed the introduction of a non-taxable fuel surcharge, a standard practice in international aviation to help airlines manage rising costs.
They also urged the government to direct oil marketers to issue credit notes to airlines affected by what they described as excessive and arbitrary price hikes. In addition, the group called for the establishment of an industry tax reform committee to review existing charges, assess their relevance, and align them with global standards.
As the deadline approaches, uncertainty hangs over Nigeria’s aviation sector. Another airline executive, who spoke anonymously on Sunday because he was not authorised to comment publicly, warned that the shutdown threat remains real. “If nothing is done, no airline will be flying by Thursday,” he said.
The ship of industrial revolution is about to berth in East Africa, with the continent’s leading industrialist, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, making clear his intention to take the driver’s seat on investments conceived to lead the continent into energy security and industrial revolution.
To this end, Alhaji Dangote whose company operates the largest petroleum refinery on the continent has offered to lead a consortium to build a major crude oil refinery in East Africa, as governments across the region push for greater energy self-sufficiency following supply disruptions linked to the Iran conflict.
The cost profile of the proposed East Africa Refinery was not disclosed but the proposed facility, to be located in the Tanzanian port city of Tanga, is expected to mirror the scale and capacity of Dangote’s flagship refinery in Lagos, which processes about 650,000 barrels per day.
The project is being discussed as a joint regional initiative, with crude supplies expected from Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda.
Kenyan President William Ruto stated at a conference in London that the refinery would serve multiple East African economies, many of which remain heavily dependent on imported refined petroleum products.
The region currently relies largely on supplies from the Middle East, leaving it exposed to global price volatility and logistical disruptions, including those caused by instability around the Strait of Hormuz.
Dangote said he would take the lead in delivering the project if participating governments reached agreement, with a proposed construction timeline of four to five years.
The move reflects a broader shift across Africa toward building domestic refining capacity after recent geopolitical shocks exposed vulnerabilities in fuel supply chains.
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In Nigeria, Dangote’s refinery has already reshaped the domestic energy landscape since operations began in 2024, significantly reducing the country’s long-standing dependence on imported fuel despite being Africa’s largest crude producer.
The facility has also positioned the Dangote Group as a central player in regional energy markets.
The proposed East African refinery is expected to complement emerging upstream production in the region, particularly in Uganda, which is preparing to begin commercial oil output. Kampala has also announced separate plans for a smaller refinery project in partnership with a United Arab Emirates-based investor.
Beyond refining, Dangote indicated plans to expand industrial investments across the continent, including the development of around 20 fertilizer blending plants by 2028 to support agricultural productivity and reduce import dependence.
He also signaled that a future listing of the Nigerian refinery could be opened to African investors, encouraging broader continental participation.
According to Dangote, the expansion strategy is aimed at building integrated industrial capacity that keeps more value within Africa while reducing exposure to external supply shocks.
Analysts say the success of the Tanga project will depend on regional coordination, regulatory alignment and financing, but note that it represents one of the most ambitious attempts yet to create a shared energy infrastructure serving multiple African economies.
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