Africa’s path to taking centre stage in global trade isn’t about having more, it’s about doing more with what we already have. That was the key message from the panel moderated by Kosisochukwu Ugwuede at Moonshot by TechCabal. Both Oluwafunto Olasemo, Chief Operating Officer at AFEX, and Anu Adedoyin Adasolum, CEO of Sabi, agreed that Africa’s challenge is not in resources but in conversion, turning abundance into productivity and value that can compete globally.
“We have about 30% of global resources in Africa and 64% of uncultivated arable land, but we contribute just 3% to global trade,” said Olasemo. “That shows a gap Africa needs to close.” Her point was clear: the continent has enough to feed itself and export, but the systems to make that happen are underdeveloped.
Research supports her view. According to the African Development Bank, Africa’s agricultural productivity has stagnated for more than a decade while its population and consumption continue to rise. This mismatch between production and demand widens the gap Olasemo described. It also underscores the need for improved infrastructure, stronger regulation, and more robust cross-border trade systems to help local producers compete internationally.
Sabi’s Adedoyin Adasolum added that much of Africa’s mineral production is driven by small, informal players who often lack the skills and digital tools to scale. “Even out of the fragmentation, what we call large players here are small to medium size globally,” she said.
For her, the solution is using digital infrastructure to create visibility and trust across value chains. Through Sabi’s traceability platform, the company ensures materials meet global quality standards, helping African producers gain credibility and access to larger markets.
Olasemo shared how AFEX is working within regulation to build systems that enable trade consistency. “Every product we have built, we have tried to build within the core of regulation,” she said. AFEX has collaborated with the Securities and Exchange Commission on an investment act that allows commodities stored in accredited warehouses to be used as collateral to access capital. This framework ties together accreditation, regulation, and technology, creating a trusted ecosystem for trade.
But what needs to change for Nigeria and, by extension, Africa to become a true trade facilitation hub? “You trade out of surplus,” Olasemo said. “Productivity needs to increase for us to make Africa a trade hub. We have to engineer it and work our way through it.”
Adedoyin Adasolum noted that the bridge between macroeconomic policy and micro-level activity must be strengthened. “If someone will pay me more than they pay me in Nigeria, I’ll export,” she said. “The question is what helps me meet the quantity.” She emphasised new models such as cooperative mining, in which small mines in the same area can pool resources to meet export requirements.
Oluwafunto rounded off with a hopeful note, referencing the African Development Bank’s Staple Crop Processing Zone policy as an example of how regional frameworks can support structured trade.
The key takeaway? Africa’s rise on the global stage will not come from outside support or chance. It will come from deliberate action, improved productivity, regulatory enforcement, and the use of digital infrastructure to turn potential into performance.