Valcertra digital platform ‘ll address Africa’s export challenges— Odoh
Prof. Benard Odoh, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Valcertra, said the digital platform would address some challenges faced by Africans in exporting their products.
The online trading platform is scheduled to be unveiled in 2026.
Odoh this in Abuja on Tuesday at a demonstration session with stakeholders, ahead of the unveiling.
According to him, the platform will serve as a melting pot for the secure buying, selling and exportation of products from Nigeria and other African countries by its users.
He further explained that the platform was designed as Africa’s first full stack trade infrastructure.
According to him, it is purpose built to address the systemic bottlenecks that have constrained African exports for decades.
Odoh said that Africa has less than 3 per cent of global trade.
He said the gap could be addressed through collaboration, adding that it could unlock over $1 billion dollars in annual trade value.
This, he said, could translate into many export-ready small and medium enterprises, safer financing for banks, and more competitive African products in global markets.
“Each year, African small and medium enterprises lose an estimated $38 billion in export opportunities.
“This is not because Africa lacks quality products or capable producers, but because trust breaks down along the trade chain through 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 the pathways to global markets remain unreliable, opaque, and slow.
“Yet, global demand for African products has never been stronger.
“This ranges from cocoa, shea, hibiscus, and spices to cashew, honey, ginger, leather, and crafts,’ he said.
He said what was missing remained a trusted gateway that would guarantee 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.
According to him, the platform verifies products and producers through partnerships with accredited laboratories, quality assurance bodies, and trained field inspectors.
By so doing, he said, it ensures that products listed met 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 confidence that once your product meets the standard, the market is assured.
“We welcome technology and data partners to deepen quality assurance and product intelligence.
“We welcome commodity associations to mobilise producers and accelerate market access,” he said.
Also speaking, the Group Head, Product Development and Innovation, Business Development Division, Bank of Industry, Dr Emmanuel Ojowuro, assured that the digital platform was safe.
One of the participants and 2023 All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South, Ifeanyi Eleje, advised the platform operators to consider insuring products to allay transactional fears.
Supreme news reports that participants in the testing session were drawn from public institutions and regulatory agencies, including the Raw Materials Research and Development Council.
Others were the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the the Bank of Industry.
