How a Nigerian Entrepreneur is Putting Nigerian Honey on the Global Map with Omar Lababidi

Episode 197 with Omar Lababidi, CEO of Wafroex and Founder of Goldswarm, a premium West African honey brand that is redefining sustainable luxury while empowering thousands of smallholder farmers across Nigeria. With over twenty years of experience investing in, leading and scaling companies, Omar combines deep business expertise with a passion for innovation, sustainability and community development.

In this episode, he shares how a single taste of honey in Benin in 2015 inspired a vision to elevate West African honey to the global stage, and how that vision has grown into Goldswarm the first Nigerian agricultural brand to export to the United States. 

From introducing advanced technologies such as honey DNA tracking to forging partnerships that protect biodiversity and support local beekeepers, Omar explains how Goldswarm is creating a blueprint for sustainable agribusiness in Africa.

What We Discuss With Omar

• Omar’s journey from a life-changing taste of honey in Benin to founding Goldswarm, a premium West African honey brand.
• Building Nigeria’s first agricultural brand to export to the United States and redefining sustainable luxury.
• How Goldswarm’s honey DNA tracking and innovation are transforming transparency, traceability, and trust in African exports.
• Empowering local farmers, protecting biodiversity, and promoting climate-smart agriculture across West Africa.
• Navigating export challenges and positioning Nigeria as a global hub for organic and sustainable agricultural products.
• Omar’s vision for Africa’s future in global trade and the rise of purpose-driven entrepreneurship across the continent

Verto Corner
In this week’s Verto Corner, Sankha Jinasena, Sales Manager for South Africa at Verto, discusses how South Africa’s removal from the FATF grey list is creating new opportunities for businesses operating across borders. 

He explains how improved investor confidence and regulatory stability are opening doors for B2B payment providers, driving stronger partnerships and renewed commercial momentum. 

Sankha also shares what this shift means for companies looking to trade with South Africa, and how Verto is repositioning its value proposition to meet rising demand with greater speed, transparency and trust.

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Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Using Solar Drying Innovation to Tackle Food Insecurity in Sudan: The Solar Foods Story? Make sure to check it out!

Connect with Terser:
LinkedIn – Terser Adamu
Instagram – unlockingafrica
Twitter (X) – @TerserAdamu

Connect with Omar:
LinkedIn – Omar Lababid

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:

www.etkgroup.co.uk
info@etkgroup.co.uk