UNDP, GEF-SGP Launch Digital Directory to Connect Nigerian Businesses to Global Markets

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-implemented Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP) has launched a digital business directory designed to connect Nigerian nature-positive enterprises with local and international markets while reducing their dependence on donor funding.

The initiative, unveiled during a media engagement in Abuja, is intended to help rural and community-based businesses transition from grant-supported projects into commercially sustainable enterprises through improved market access, certification support, business mentoring and digital visibility.

Speaking at the launch, the National Coordinator of the GEF Small Grants Programme, Dr. Ibironke Olubamise, said the platform was developed after years of observing that many successful grassroots environmental projects struggled to survive once donor funding ended.

She explained that the GEF Small Grants Programme, the community financing arm of the Global Environment Facility, operates in more than 120 countries worldwide, including over 40 across Africa, supporting community initiatives in biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, sustainable agriculture and natural resource management.

According to her, Nigeria has implemented more than 120 community-based projects under the programme, but many beneficiaries lacked the business structures, technical capacity and market access needed to sustain their enterprises after grant funding expired.

"We identified that after supporting communities and implementing projects, many of them were unable to scale because they lacked the resources and business capacity to continue after the grants ended," Olubamise said.

She said the programme is now encouraging non-governmental organisations and community groups to adopt social enterprise models capable of generating sustainable revenue rather than relying on successive grants.

"We are now changing the mindset of NGOs. Enough of depending on grants. Once one grant finishes, people begin waiting for another one. We want them to become social enterprises that can sustain themselves," she added.

Platform to improve market access

Trade Ambassador with the International Trade Facilitation Association (ITFA), Prince Collins Ezeiruaku, described the initiative as a pilot programme involving about 400 businesses drawn from Nigeria's six geopolitical zones.

He explained that the directory is not an e-commerce marketplace but an information and verification platform that enhances the visibility and credibility of businesses operating across agriculture, biodiversity and environmental value chains.

According to him, the platform will provide participating businesses with continuous mentoring, training materials and technical support while linking them with investors, certification bodies and development partners.

"There are agencies looking for businesses working in different value chains. The directory allows us to connect those businesses with opportunities," Ezeiruaku said.

He argued that weak business structures, rather than inadequate funding alone, remain one of the biggest obstacles facing many Nigerian enterprises.

"Contrary to popular belief, businesses are not always failing because they lack money. Some businesses receive funding and still fail because they lack business models and proper structures," he said.

Ezeiruaku added that the programme is designed to prepare businesses to move beyond grant dependence by positioning them to access commercial financing and attract long-term investment.

Media Consultant to ITFA, Okiemute Olori, said the initiative also seeks to address one of the biggest barriers preventing Nigerian producers from accessing premium international markets poor certification.

She explained that producers of commodities such as shea, sesame, ginger, spices and medicinal plants often fail to meet international certification standards, forcing them to sell products at lower prices to intermediaries or through neighbouring countries where the products are rebranded before export.

Olori disclosed that about 600 businesses have already benefited from training programmes covering business planning, branding, packaging, export readiness and certification processes.

"We took them through business plans, business model canvas and connected them with certification organisations. Today, we have been able to support about 600 businesses in this short time, helping them register their businesses, prepare for exports and engage with international buyers," she said.

Olubamise cited the successful certification of a shea-processing enterprise as evidence that rural businesses can compete in international markets when provided with adequate technical support.

She added that several enterprises participating in the programme have already secured export certifications and are exploring opportunities in global markets, describing the digital directory as another step towards building sustainable, market-driven businesses capable of creating jobs and supporting environmental conservation.