The Ibukun Awosika Leadership Academy (IALA) has officially announced the launch of the African Marketplace Dubai 2025, a new platform designed to connect African enterprises with global investors and markets, with a focus on expanding Africa’s commercial footprint in the Gulf region.
The marketplace will debut alongside the upcoming edition of the International Woman Leadership Conference (IWLC), scheduled to hold in Dubai in 2025. Organized annually by IALA, the conference has become a high-profile platform for engaging African women leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives across sectors.
The addition of the African Marketplace signals a strategic expansion from thought leadership into business facilitation and global trade exposure.
The African Marketplace Dubai 2025 will showcase African products, services, and innovations across industries including fashion, agribusiness, manufacturing, technology, and creative arts. Exhibitors will include established enterprises as well as emerging businesses, with opportunities to participate in investment pitches, B2B meetings, and export-oriented sessions.
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The platform is structured to:
- Increase visibility for African brands in global markets.
- Enable investment and trade partnerships between African businesses and international buyers.
- Support cross-border collaboration and sustainable business growth, particularly for women-led enterprises.
The initiative builds on the momentum of IALA’s previous international engagements and responds to growing interest in Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem among investors in the Middle East.
With Dubai serving as a key commercial hub, the marketplace is expected to provide African entrepreneurs with exposure to funding networks, supply chains, and strategic partnerships.
IALA plans to release post-event reports detailing business outcomes, including funding commitments, export contracts, and new market entries achieved through the platform.
African Marketplace Dubai 2025 positions itself as a catalytic bridge between African innovation and global capital, reinforcing IALA’s commitment to advancing economic inclusion through leadership, entrepreneurship, and market access.
