Tag Archives: Minister of Trade

AMA, Business, Education, Technology

African Business Stories Launches Scale-Ready Bootcamp in Lagos to Empower Women-Led Enterprises

MaraviPost
Cohort 1 of the ABS Scale Ready Bootcamp

LAGOS, Nigeria, 25 November2025-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- In a move to significantly strengthen the pipeline of scalable women-led businesses in Africa, African Business Stories (ABS) launched its inaugural Scale Ready Bootcamp in Lagos.

The Bootcamp, which took place on 7 November 2025, followed a high-level morning Roundtable hosted at Microsoft Nigeria under the theme “Positioning for Scale in Nigeria and Beyond.” The Roundtable convened policymakers, financiers, and private-sector leaders, including Hon. Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade & Investment; Mr. Gbenga Oyebode, MFR, Co-Founder, Aluko & Oyebode; senior representatives from the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment; Afreximbank; Microsoft West Africa; and members of the private sector.

From Left to Right: Ody Akhanoba, Director SME Development Afreximbank, Nnonye Ujam, Director Government Affairs West Africa, Microsoft, Hon. Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade & Investment, Akaego Okoye, Founder African Business Stories, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode, MFR, Co-Founder, Aluko & Oyebode, Nneka Chime, Chief Strategy & Operations Officer, UAC Nigeria PLC and Teju Abisoye, SA to Minister of Trade & Investment and National Coordinator NATEP

ABS Founder, Akaego Okoye, noted that the Bootcamp builds directly on insights from the Roundtable. “We had a powerful dialogue about the structural barriers that continue to limit the growth of women-led businesses. The Bootcamp is our practical response, equipping founders with the financial, digital and trade capabilities required to scale in real terms.”

The ABS Scale Ready Bootcamp hosted twenty selected women-led enterprises operating in sectors including manufacturing, agrifood, logistics, technology, services, and consumer goods. The curriculum covered four critical pillars of business scale: Digital Readiness, Finance Readiness, Trade Readiness under AfCFTA, and Founder Readiness.

Facilitators included experts from Shecluded, Afreximbank, the AfCFTA Secretariat and Data Science Nigeria (DSN), who delivered practical sessions on investment readiness, export certification, cross-border trade frameworks, digital optimization and data-driven operations.

Feyisayo Alayande, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) addressing the Cohort

At the Roundtable, Hon. Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem highlighted Lagos State’s commitment to supporting MSMEs with financing, export support and job creation, describing women-led enterprises as “critical to Lagos’ economic engine.” Mr. Gbenga Oyebode, in his remarks, stressed the importance of policy alignment, capital access, and institutional partnerships in unlocking the growth potential of women-owned businesses. Representing Afreximbank, Mr. Ody Akhanoba reaffirmed the Bank’s focus on supporting women in trade, strengthening investment readiness and enabling SMEs to leverage continental opportunities under the AfCFTA.

“Lagos is the beginning,” Okoye added. “We are building a strong, visible pipeline of fundable, export-ready, digital-ready African women founders. The goal is to position them for investment and cross-border expansion.”

The Bootcamp was supported by Microsoft Nigeria, Shecluded, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Afreximbank, the AfCFTA Secretariat, and DSN Nigeria.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of African Business Stories

About African Business Stories (ABS)

ABS is a platform committed to accelerating the growth of women-led businesses across Africa. Through storytelling, high-level convenings, and capacity-building programmes, ABS ensures women entrepreneurs are positioned to lead Africa’s economic transformation.

Media Contact

African Business Stories

info@africanbusinessstories.com

www.africanbusinessstories.com

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Malawi, Opinion, Politics, Top News

Mussa for APM transformative leadership; vies DPP’s southern region veep post at convention

Maravi Post Reporter

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-As the governing Progressive Party (DPP) set for its July 1, convention is around the corner, battle for the position of southern region’s vice president gets exciting with now Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism Henry Mussa joining the race.

Mussa is among the four contenders in the post to battle it out with Minister of Local Government and Community Development Kondwani Nankhuwa, Agriculture Minister Joseph Mwanamveka challenging the current holder George Chaponda.

Chaponda, former minister of Agriculture is tainted with corruption image and many view him as an excess luggage for the DPP vice post leadership.

Nankhumwa on the other hand is deemed not clean either as he has “ghosts in his cardboard” will allegations at Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) and local councils to do with road and building construction.

While Mwanamvekha credibility remains questionable on how he managed Malawi Saving Bank (MSB) that ended up sold when he was the in-charge before his appointment as Trade Minister later Agriculture minister.

Joining the race, Mussa who is also the Member of Parliament(MP)for Chiradzulu East constituency gives the DPP leadership an apple to reposition President Peter Mutharika’s transformative leadership beyond 2019.

The Trade Minister popularly known as “Mtengo waminga” (a branch of thorns) for extensive work towards people’s development, he is DPP’s founder member, trustee, principled, hardworking, performer, patriotic and committed to the nation development.

Mussa being the party’s key pillar told The Maravi Post that vieying for the post will help building and be part of the winning team beyond 2019 elections.

“Above all I want to assist His Excellency President Prof Arthur Peter Mutharika and DPP transformative leadership while repositioning the party in readiness to triumph at the 2019 general elections,” assures Mussa.

Biography;

In both business and political worlds, there is a comparatively small section of leaders; individuals who seem able to build relationships, trust, and rapport with almost anyone, and then are able to broker the relationships and make connections between people, creating partnerships and alliances, and inspiring forward impetus to ‘get things done.’

Henry Amon Robin Mussa is one of those people, and ‘getting things done’ and driving results through collaboration, partnerships, and relationships as a Senior Cabinet Minister responsible for Trade Industry and Tourism, is what he is all about. With an enthusiastic and genuinely friendly attitude, Mussa radiates a sincere passion for delivering results on the ground.

Hon. Henry Mussa has a Master’s Degree (Msc) with merit in Leadership and Change Management. This qualification propped up with the 25 years of experience in the private sector, compelled Mussain 1994 to make the life-changing decision that he could make a larger, positive impact on more people if he moved into politics.

He ventured in politics as an active political activist and in 1999 was elected Member of Parliament(MP)for Chiradzulu East constituency, a position he has held on to date.

Throughout the 17 years as an MP, Mussa has repeatedly proved his ability to lead through diverse and challenging situations.

His hard work and contribution has not gone unnoticed by various Heads of State and Government along the way that in 2000, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development.

In 2004 he was appointed Minister of Transport, Public Works and Housing, where he championed a number of infrastructure projects; in 2008 he was appointed Minister of Industry and Trade; in 2011 he was appointed Minister of Local Government and Rural Development; in 2014 he was appointed Minister of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development.

As a devout Christian and married man, he is an excellent agent of change and has a documented track record of accomplishments that include the championing of the establishment of Community Technical Collegesthat target to roll out in all the 28 districts of the country.

Since last year his Ministry has been elevated to one of the priority Ministries aimed at championing skills development, youth empowerment and sports development.

Mussa has since just been appointed Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism (July, 2017), and is geared to continue developing strategies that aim at promoting a competitive private sector and expand the export base of the country. He envisions unlocking the potential light manufacturing industries, ago-processing and tourism sectors.

Prior to his joining politics, Mussa already, had a background in industry ie private sector; where he has put in 25 years of work, initially as a Shipping and Clearing Officer in African Lakes Corporation (ALC) (Mandala Ltd) and thereafter, as an Insurance broker with the same company which he then took over its operations on a management buyout in 1996.

Other activities attributed to Mussa include; elected Treasurer General of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Government Chief Whip of the National Assembly.

He is also the Chairman and Managing Director of Eagle Insurance Brokers.

Assuming all these portfolios clearly show that Mussa at 67 years of age and as a specialist in Leadership and Change Management has a great deal of value to contribute to the Social and Economic Development of Malawi.