Botswana and Nigeria’s Push for a Bigger African Export Market
By Kabir Abdulsalam,
For Nigeria, the search for new export markets is moving beyond the familiar question of who will buy Nigerian products. The bigger challenge is finding strategic entry points into regional markets, building relationships with buyers and distributors, and turning Africa’s trade agreements into real business.
That is what makes the recent Nigeria-Botswana trade engagement in Gaborone significant.
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) mission provided an opportunity to take Nigerian businesses directly into a market that could serve as a platform for wider engagement across Southern Africa.
The Executive Director/CEO of NEPC, Mrs Nonye Ayeni, was part of the Nigerian delegation led by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole. Officials from the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control also participated.
The broad representation reflected a reality exporters know well: getting a product into an international market involves much more than finding a buyer. Standards, certification, customs, logistics and regulatory compliance can determine whether an export opportunity succeeds or fails.
Why Botswana?
Botswana is being presented not simply as another destination for Nigerian goods, but as a potential gateway to the wider Southern African Development Community (SADC).
At the Nigeria-Botswana Business and Investment Forum, Botswana Investment and Trade Centre Export Promotion Manager, Calvin Ketshabetswe, described Botswana as a stable, high-income gateway into SADC and the Southern African Customs Union.
With SADC comprising 16 member states, the proposition is larger than Botswana’s domestic market. Nigerian businesses could potentially use the country to develop partnerships, distribution networks and market intelligence for Southern Africa.
That does not mean that establishing a presence in Botswana automatically guarantees access to every SADC market. Each market has its own regulatory requirements, standards and trade rules. But Botswana could provide a useful starting point for businesses looking to understand and penetrate the region.p
This is where Ayeni’s approach becomes important.
The Botswana engagement focused on actual interaction between Nigerian exporters and potential buyers. Made-in-Nigeria products were displayed, sampled and tested, with some businesses receiving requests for samples, discussing distribution arrangements and recording commercial interest.
For Ayeni, the objective is to move beyond visibility. “For us at NEPC, the goal is to make the world a marketplace for Nigerian products.”
The significance of the mission, therefore, will ultimately be measured not by the number of meetings held but by what follows them: orders, shipments, distribution agreements, repeat purchases and lasting commercial relationships.
That thinking also fits into Ayeni’s wider advocacy for greater Nigerian participation in the AfCFTA market. She has urged SMEs to take advantage of the continental market to expand their businesses, add value to local products and reduce dependence on imports.
The push for stronger commercial relations has also received high-level support from Botswana’s President, Duma Gideon Boko.
In remarks following the presentation of Nigeria’s High Commissioner’s credentials, President Boko described AfCFTA as an important driver of African economic integration and expressed support for stronger cooperation between Nigeria and Botswana, particularly in tourism and legal services.
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“The AfCFTA presents a unique opportunity to deepen economic integration across the continent, while sectors such as tourism and legal services offer immense potential for stronger bilateral cooperation,” Boko said.
His intervention broadens the opportunity beyond physical products.
Nigeria’s export ambitions increasingly include services, technology, professional expertise, tourism and other areas of the modern economy. Stronger bilateral relations could therefore create opportunities not only for manufacturers and agro-processors, but also for Nigerian service providers.
The convergence is important: while the political leadership is seeking a stronger framework for bilateral and continental economic cooperation, NEPC is working at the business end—connecting exporters with markets and buyers.
The existing trade relationship shows just how much room there is to grow.
Available figures indicate that Botswana’s exports to Nigeria fell from about $1.4 million in 2023 to $147,000 in 2024, while imports from Nigeria declined from approximately $376,000 to $161,000 during the same period.
Those figures are modest considering the size and economic weight of both countries.
But they can also be viewed as an indication of an underdeveloped commercial relationship rather than a lack of opportunity.
The challenge is how quickly both sides can move from limited bilateral trade to deeper business relationships, higher-value products and more consistent shipments.
What Can Nigeria Offer? The opportunities span several sectors.
Agro-processing, food products, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, textiles, personal care, logistics, fintech, renewable energy, tourism and business services all present possibilities.
But identifying an opportunity is only the first step.
Nigerian exporters must be able to compete on quality, price, packaging, certification, reliability and delivery. A willing buyer means little if the product cannot meet the destination market’s standards or the exporter cannot supply consistently.
This makes the participation of agencies such as Customs and NAFDAC particularly relevant. Export development requires an ecosystem capable of moving businesses from production to compliant, reliable international supply.
The Botswana engagement also gives practical meaning to AfCFTA.
For an entrepreneur, the success of continental integration is ultimately measured by simple questions:
Can I find a buyer? Can I meet the rules? Can my product pass the required standards? Can I move it efficiently? Can I receive payment? And will the buyer order again?
That is where NEPC’s role becomes critical.
Its work in exporter development, market intelligence, buyer connections and trade promotion can help bridge the gap between policy and commercial reality.
What Happens After Gaborone?
The real test of the mission begins after the delegation leaves.
Sample requests must be followed up. Buyer conversations must become quotations and orders. Orders must become shipments, while first-time buyers should ideally become repeat customers.
NEPC can strengthen this process by tracking the businesses involved, monitoring buyer interest and helping exporters address regulatory and market-entry challenges.
That would represent a shift from trade promotion to trade conversion—from simply creating visibility for Nigerian products to helping businesses establish sustainable markets.
Botswana does not have to become Nigeria’s biggest export destination to be strategically important.
Its value may lie in opening a door into a region where Nigerian businesses still have significant room to grow.
For Ayeni and NEPC, the opportunity is therefore bigger than taking Nigerian products to Gaborone. It is about building the relationships, market knowledge and commercial confidence that can help Nigerian businesses move from Nigeria to Botswana, from Botswana into Southern Africa, and ultimately from African markets to the world.
Kabir Abdulsalam, writes from Suleja, Niger State. He can be reached via: [email protected]
