The African Marketplace Dubai 2025 officially opened at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai, bringing together about 200 export-ready brands, creators, and SMEs from Africa and the Caribbean for a four-day exhibition focused on trade, culture, and enterprise.
Exhibitors from Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Senegal, Seychelles, Tanzania, Rwanda, the UAE, the UK, and the US are showcasing products across fashion, beauty, wellness, agriculture, technology, art, and lifestyle, reinforcing the region’s growing influence in global trade and creativity.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, Founder of the Ibukun Awosika Leadership Academy and convener of the marketplace, said, “Dubai represents the world, a nation of nearly 200 nationalities, built on trade, structure, and inclusivity. It offers the right environment to showcase Africa’s excellence to global buyers and investors. I believe it’s the perfect stage for us to build a mother platform that carries the weight of Africa’s productivity to international markets.”
Delivering a keynote address on Exploring the African Tech Story – Past, Present, and Future, Juliet Ehimuan, Founder of Beyond Limits Africa, highlighted the role of innovation and youth enterprise in Africa’s digital evolution. “The African tech ecosystem is no longer emerging, it’s maturing. We’ve moved from isolated success stories to building strong, interconnected systems powered by innovation, local partnerships, and resilience. The next decade will be defined by African solutions transforming global industries.”
Ody Akhanoba, Director of SME Development at Afreximbank, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to enabling trade and entrepreneurship across the continent. “SMEs are the backbone of Africa’s economic transformation. At Afreximbank, our commitment to advancing Africa’s trade vision goes far beyond words. In 2024 alone, we disbursed over $18.7 billion across Africa, including 111 trade lines that enabled 127,000 SME subloans, we are building the ecosystems that will power Africa’s industrialization and global competitiveness.”
African Marketplace Dubai 2025 is powered by the Ibukun Awosika Leadership Academy (IALA) and supported by sponsors including Afreximbank, Access Bank, Lagos State (through Lagos State Tourism), Wema Bank (SARA), Bank of Industry, GText Holdings, Moniepoint, Nexim Bank, and Sterling Bank. Partners include the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), African Business Heroes (ABH), TVC Communications, Togo Mall, Ecobank Ghana, and FCMB (SheVentures).
The exhibition runs from November 12–15, 2025, featuring product showcases, business sessions, and cultural exchanges aimed at driving investment, collaboration, and global market access for African and Caribbean enterprises.
