Prof. Benard Odoh, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Valcertra, says the company’s digital trading platform will address key challenges confronting African exporters.
The online trading platform, scheduled for unveiling in 2026, was presented on Tuesday in Abuja during a demonstration session with stakeholders ahead of its official launch.
Odoh said the platform would serve as a secure marketplace for buying, selling and exporting products from Nigeria and other African countries.
According to him, Valcertra is designed as Africa’s first full-stack trade infrastructure, purpose-built to tackle the systemic bottlenecks that have constrained African exports for decades.
He noted that Africa currently accounts for less than three per cent of global trade, adding that improved collaboration could unlock over one billion dollars in annual trade value.
“This could translate into thousands of export-ready small and medium enterprises, safer financing opportunities for banks, and more competitive African products in global markets,” he said.
Odoh stated that African small and medium enterprises lose an estimated 38 billion dollars annually in export opportunities, not due to poor product quality, but because of trust gaps across the trade chain.
“These challenges include product rejections, documentation gaps, inconsistent standards and fragmented systems.
“Nearly 70 per cent of African producers who attempt to export never succeed, not for lack of effort or quality, but because pathways to global markets remain unreliable, opaque and slow.
“Yet, global demand for African products has never been stronger, ranging from cocoa, shea, hibiscus and spices to cashew, honey, ginger, leather and crafts,” he said.
He explained that what was missing was a trusted gateway that guarantees quality, compliance, traceability and predictable delivery.
“At Valcertra, we are uncompromisingly focused on outcomes. We measure success by two simple questions: did the exporter grow, and did the buyer receive quality and value?” Odoh said.
He said the platform verifies products and producers through partnerships with accredited laboratories, quality assurance bodies and trained field inspectors, ensuring that listed products meet global compliance requirements.
“Trust sits at the heart of every transaction on Valcertra. Through secure escrow, digital wallets, verification codes and on-ground field validation, we reduce fraud, manage risk and restore confidence between buyers and sellers.
“For exporters and producers, this means fewer rejections, lower compliance costs, faster transactions and the assurance that once a product meets required standards, the market is guaranteed,” he said.
Odoh welcomed technology and data partners to strengthen quality assurance and product intelligence, as well as commodity associations to mobilize producers and accelerate market access.
Also speaking, the Group Head, Product Development and Innovation, Business Development Division, Bank of Industry, Dr Emmanuel Ojowuro, assured stakeholders that the digital platform was secure.
One of the participants and the 2023 All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South, Mr Ifeanyi Eleje, advised the platform operators to consider insuring products to further reduce transaction-related risks.
Participants at the demonstration session were drawn from public institutions and regulatory agencies, including the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the Bank of Industry.
