Newsletter by Toyin Umesiri - Nazaru CEO

  Like everyone else around the world, I have watched what is going on in South Africa... Just a few weeks ago, I had shared that Durban was selected to host the rest of Africa under the AfCFTA - Intra-African trade Fair. You can only imagine what types of conversations are now ongoing. The question is who would want to travel there at this time? No one.... "The cost of insecurity is too high for Africa and it will continue to negatively impact ability to grow trade and investments" Toyin Umesiri Just 2 years ago I was interviewed by the News Agency of Nigeria (NNN) - during the coverage of the Xenophobic attacks that Nigerians had faced in South Africa in 2019. The headline of my interview feature was: Xenophobic attacks: threat to AfCFTA — Expert You can read it here: https://nnn.ng/xenophobic-attacks-threat-to-afcfta-expert/ In the past few days I have had to privately engage with foreign entity whose company and investment in South Africa were seriously impacted. Safety o

  As a visionary, a futurist and a strategist, I have been building for AFRICA! I am super proud of all the progress we have made so far and today all I would like to do is invite you to check us out here -  www.nazaru.com

---- Our Partnership with the African Union (AU) offers Trade and Investment Officers access to our Trade and Investment Facilitation Masterclass and Trade with Africa Business Summit resources to advance their goals. If you are an officer in African Trade Ministries of Trade/Embassies/Consulate you can now request your access to the class here: https://nazaru.com/au-partnership EXPORT & IMPORT OPPORTUNITIES To be successful internationally, you must develop a winning market entry strategy that factors in the right distribution channels, a network of international Agents and Distributors that will help you execute your strategy over time. If you are seeking new markets for your products and or services here are 5 things you should also consider: You cannot do it alone: Going international is more complex than remaining in your local market. Expanding internationally means that you would be reaching new clients and you may not understand their culture, buying preferences and pattern

  --- Increasing non-oil exports from Africa is a top priority for most African countries and the African diaspora has a role to play in ensuring that these commodities and products enter new markets such as the U.S. and Canada. Unfortunately, they are missing the knowledge, skills and capacity required to achieve success in this area. Nigeria as example is underperforming in non-oil exports to the U.S. market when compared to Kenya. Its GDP is heavily dependent on oil while other areas remain highly under-developed. With the right skills acquired through coaching, right export development strategy targeted at capacity building - they can begin to achieve great success. This past Saturday I had the opportunity to deliver a 3 hour Masterclass teaching attendees how to create Export/Import business around international trade with Africa under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). You can either play the role of an importer living in the U.S. or an exporter from Africa. Both stak

  --- Over the past 12 months, I have had the honor of delivering training across various formats to Trade and Investment Stakeholders in Business and Politics. One in particular, which was a major highlight, was in October last year - read coverage here: AfCFTA: 14 African countries get Masterclass on trade, investment facilitation . To put more structure behind this important pillar of our work, we have now moved all training programs under Nazaru Academy. Premium Members of the Trade with Africa® Network can immediately start accessing all training programs free while non-members are be able to purchase individual classes directly on NAZARU.COM . Our Events pillar has grown strong over the years. It provides a deeply immersive experience to attendees and members. They represent educative resources for stakeholders, because we curate the conversations around deep research topics and 50+ recordings have also moved under the Academy. Here is what one of our clients had to share about h

  ---2020 impacted most businesses around the world in a negative way and many are still working hard to recover from the aftermath of such economic devastation. We are now half way into 2021 and here are 5 ways you can still grow your business before the year runs out. Invest in your Brand and market it to new clients and customers : I would say this is not the time to sit around and do nothing. In fact, this is the time to move forward as best as you can even if it is in small ways. Just move forward. Tell your story - both locally within your community and also internationally - should that be a goal that you have. Customers are looking for brands and businesses they can trust to meet their needs. If you believe that you have what they need then why keep it a secret? Partner up : One way of expanding quickly is through strategic partnerships. I have written before about my own partnership principles; offer value and seek value by designing a win-win scenario and also give more than

  ----A few weeks ago, while I was being introduced on Clubhouse, someone said "Toyin is a fountain of knowledge...". This happens to be the reality because I am a custodian of a large knowledge base - the information or data I share is largely driven by the expertise I have in driving business, trade and investments. My current perspective is heavily shaped from not only working as a technologist, strategist and futurist at the world's largest company; Walmart, but also the fact that I have had the honor of hosting over 100 speakers in Government and Business from around the world. i.e. from World Bank Chief Economist on Africa, to Rwanda's Largest Private Investor and Presidential Adviser, to African Union leaders, U.S. Government Agencies, Trade Experts, Policy Makers, Diaspora leaders, Consultants and various sectors Advisers, Technologist and Innovators, Youth and Women's Empowerment. I feel a great sense of responsibility to contribute and also shape the bus