English
Français 
Português 
On the sidelines of the Biashara Afrika Conference in Kigali in October 2024, Professor Fatou Sow Sarr, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, representing the ECOWAS Commission, and Mr. Mulualem Syoum, Chairman and CEO of the AeTrade Group, signed an historic partnership agreement. The agreement aims to strengthen access to business opportunities for SMEs, women and youth in the region through AeTrade Group’s digital platforms, including Sokokuu.Africa and 50 Million African Women Speak Platform (50MAWSP). It will accelerate digital and financial inclusion, foster job creation and strengthen intra-African trade within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The official signing of this agreement follows a strategy meeting held on October 8, 2024 at the AeTrade Group’s continental headquarters, with the participation, both face-to-face and online, of representatives from COMESA, the EAC Secretariat and ECOWAS.
At the meeting, Professor Fatou Sow Sarr and her delegation from the ECOWAS Centre for Gender Development (CCDG) presented the 50MAWSP platform and the Centre’s initiatives since its creation. They also outlined the CCDG’s vision for ensuring the sustainability of these projects in the region.
The CEO of AeTrade Group and his team then presented the Group’s integrated ecosystem to the ECOWAS delegation, with a particular focus on the Sokokuu.Africa platform, a robust ecosystem offering integrated solutions to support the growth of MSMEs and improve their competitiveness. The platform plays a key role in promoting “Made in Africa” products on African and international markets.
Over the past year, the AeTrade Group has made significant progress in developing digital trade infrastructures. This has improved the visibility and export capacity of SMEs run by women and young people, by facilitating their integration on the Sokokuu.Africa platform. This model of shared prosperity has already brought together more than 330 partners, and others are invited to join this inclusive and sustainable program.
Using innovative financial and digital inclusion tools, the AeTrade Group is set to deploy an innovative approach in Rwanda to stimulate job creation and youth entrepreneurship, particularly in regional agricultural value chains. This initiative is part of the Action Plan to strengthen food systems on the continent.
The meeting concluded with a commitment to consolidate this partnership and its operational modalities in order to amplify its impact. Efforts will focus in particular on building the capacities of marginalized groups in the ECOWAS region – including MSMEs, women, youth and rural communities – to enable them to benefit fully from the opportunities offered by the AfCFTA.