Unlocking Africa
Terser Adamu, who is an Africa Business Strategist, International Trade Adviser, and Director at ETK Group, hosts the award-nominated Unlocking Africa Podcast. During each episode he shares his thoughts on how to unlock Africa’s economic potential in the 21st century. This is delivered through engaging and thought-provoking discussions with innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and business leaders who are unlocking Africa’s economic potential. Whether you're a business leader, an aspiring entrepreneur, have a comfortable side hustle, or want to take your business to the next level, each episode is jam-packed with information and insight that will enable you to take immediate action and implement key strategies to successfully launch and grow your business in Africa.
Unlocking Africa
Bridging Africa’s $100 Billion Trade Finance Gap Through Agribusiness Exports with Dara Adekunle
Episode 209 with Dara Adekunle, Managing Partner and CEO of FARMTIES Capital, an investment firm financing export oriented African agribusinesses and strengthening Africa’s role in global trade.
Dara brings deep experience in impact investing, innovative finance, and international trade to this conversation on one of the most critical and under examined constraints to Africa’s economic growth the trade finance gap facing agricultural SMEs.
In this episode, we explore why Africa’s challenge is not agricultural production, but the lack of working capital, trade infrastructure, and risk appropriate financing needed to move goods from farms to global markets. Dara explains how FARMTIES Fund I, a 50 million dollar profit sharing trade finance fund, is unlocking capital for export ready agribusinesses across West and East Africa, with strong market linkages to North America and Europe.
From blended finance and technical assistance to compliance, traceability, and ESG standards, this conversation breaks down how African SMEs can become bankable, competitive, and scalable in global food markets. Dara also unpacks why gender inclusive and climate resilient value chains are not only good for impact, but essential for long term commercial success.
What We Discuss With Dara
- Why Africa’s biggest constraint to agribusiness growth is the trade finance gap rather than production capacity
- How profit sharing trade finance and blended capital structures can de risk African agriculture
- Turning compliance, traceability, and ESG requirements into competitive advantages for African exporters
- The commercial case for gender inclusive and climate resilient agricultural value chains
- What founders, investors, and policymakers must change to unlock Africa’s export led growth
Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Financial Inclusion, Entrepreneurship, and How to Build Markets That Work in Africa? Make sure to check it out!
Connect with Terser:
LinkedIn - Terser Adamu
Instagram - unlockingafrica
Twitter (X) - @TerserAdamu
Connect with Dara:
LinkedIn - Oluwadara (Dara) Adekunle and Farmties Capital Limited
Many of the businesses unlocking opportunities in Africa don’t do it alone. If you’d like strategic support on entering or expanding across African markets, reach out to our partners ETK Group:
