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:

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