The Oyo State Government has unveiled a comprehensive strategy to position local artisans, creative entrepreneurs, and small businesses to tap into the estimated $3.4 trillion African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) market and expand their access to global export opportunities.
The initiative was announced during the two-day Oyo Business Forum 2026, themed “Investment and Export Promotion for Arts, Craft, Culture and Creative Economy Businesses,” held on Wednesday, November 11, and Thursday, November 12, 2026, at the Ministry of Local Government Hall, State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan. Daily proceedings ran from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., preceded each morning by product exhibitions opening at 8:00 a.m.
Delivering the keynote address at the formal opening on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., Governor Seyi Makinde, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, stated that the policy thrust is a deliberate effort to transform Oyo State into a premier hub for creative enterprise, cultural tourism, and export-driven investment.
“The question before us is simple. Will Oyo State merely absorb this opportunity, or will we position ourselves to benefit from it? My answer is clear. Oyo State will be an active participant, and our artisans, creative entrepreneurs and small businesses will be among the driving forces of this ambition,” Prof. Babatunde declared on behalf of the governor.
Convened by the Honourable Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Ajani Olatunbosun, in partnership with the Oyo State Investment and Public-Private Partnership Agency (OYSIPA), the forum drew approximately 300 stakeholders, including local makers, financiers, federal export agencies, development partners, and members of the diplomatic community.
Earlier in his welcome address at 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Dr. Olatunbosun underscored Oyo State’s rich heritage in indigenous crafts, ranging from Iseyin aso-oke weaving and adire textile dyeing to calabash and wood carving, leatherwork, talking drums, visual arts, film, and music.
He noted that while local creators possess world-class talent, the forum was designed to bridge critical gaps in export readiness, access to finance, and direct linkages to international offtakers.
Activities on the opening day immediately moved into technical capacity building following the formal ceremonies and a curator-led exhibition tour showcasing around 40 selected Oyo creative enterprises.
Industry experts led panel sessions on Financing the Creative Economy at 11:45 a.m. and Export Routes for Creative Products at 12:45 p.m. By 2:45 p.m., participants joined an intensive Export Clinic focused on international pricing, packaging standards, export documentation, and AfCFTA Rules of Origin, before wrapping up the day’s formal schedule with an OYSIPA investor aftercare briefing at 3:45 p.m.
On Thursday, November 12, the focus shifted from capacity building to direct commercial deal-making. Local makers engaged in pre-arranged, 20-minute one-on-one Business-to-Business matchmaking sessions with domestic and international buyers throughout the day.
Between 11:20 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., between eight and ten shortlisted creative enterprises pitched their expansion plans directly to prospective investors and development finance institutions, including representatives from the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Bank of Industry, NEXIM Bank, and Afreximbank.
To ensure sustained post-event trade facilitation, the state government confirmed that business leads generated during the two-day gathering will be compiled into an online export catalogue and distributed globally through Nigerian diplomatic missions and OYSIPA’s investor support desk.
