By 
By Osasome C.O
A Global Digital Platform Connecting Women-Led Businesses to 102 Countries
Connecting One Million Women to Trade (C1WT), a private-sector-driven coalition, has launched what it describes as the world’s first digital 8-Pillar Global Trade Accelerator (GTA). This is a transformational platform designed to connect one million women-led businesses to international markets across 102 countries.
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The initiative made its first global appearance at the GUBA Trade & Investment Conference in Barbados. It was followed by a multi-continent rollout session in Accra, Ghana, on November 21.
Closing the Gender Gap in Global Commerce
Despite progress, women across Africa continue to face systemic barriers such as limited export readiness, restrictive policies, and poor access to global markets. The GTA seeks to address these gaps by offering a structured, digital ecosystem that equips women entrepreneurs across Africa. Its focus also covers the Caribbean, the Americas, and the global diaspora to participate competitively in international trade.
C1WT describes the accelerator as “a step-by-step digital ecosystem that supports one million women-led businesses and 10,000+ associations to achieve international trade readiness,” and “a neutral trade clearinghouse enabling institutions to exchange solutions, share capacity, and scale their impact.”
Global Endorsements and Institutional Partnerships
The Barbados launch was attended by government officials, chambers of commerce, and development partners. At the event, the GTA was heralded as “a groundbreaking model to digitise the onboarding of women-owned businesses, expand export access, integrate supportive policies, and unlock hundreds of billions in women-led global trade.”
Former Costa Rican Vice-President Epsy Barr endorsed the platform as “a collaborative framework to accelerate women-led trade across the Atlantic corridors.”
The Barbados Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI) acknowledged the accelerator as a core component of its emerging partnership with C1WT.
In Accra, where continental leaders gathered under the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GNCCI), President Stéphane Abass Miezan celebrated the initiative as one that “positions Ghana as a critical bridge in global commerce and enables women to participate confidently in international markets.”
The National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) also introduced new capital-access tools for platform users, with President Charles DeBow noting that the collaboration “opens unprecedented financial pathways for African and diaspora women entrepreneurs.”
From Symbolism to Structure: Building a Unified Global Trade System
C1WT founder Dr. Ky Dele said the movement is shifting “from symbolism to structure,” with a vision to connect grassroots businesses to global decision-makers. A live demonstration showcased multilingual onboarding, digital KYC, partner dashboards, export-readiness training modules, and a global marketplace—all engineered to streamline participation for women-led SMEs.
The platform is built on eight digital trade pillars:
- Trade Intelligence
- Training & Capacity Building
- Strategic Partnerships
- Access to Finance
- Policy Advocacy
- Technology Enablement
- Trade Advisory
- Monitoring & Evaluation
According to organisers, the GTA aims to onboard 10,000 women-led businesses per country through an association-driven model that eliminates fragmentation and unites institutions within a single trusted ecosystem.
Nigeria Applauds the Platform’s Pan-African Vision
Nigerian leaders—including Senator Ireti Kingibe and former Minister Otunba Niyi Adebayo—lauded the initiative, describing it as a historic turning point in women’s global trade participation.
SBTS Group: The Technology Backbone Driving the C1WT Ecosystem
Washington, DC–based SBTS Group is the Technology Backbone Provider for the C1WT initiative. As a strategic partner, SBTS is responsible for:
- Designing and maintaining the entire C1WT digital ecosystem
- Developing the data architecture powering real-time monitoring and evaluation
- Ensuring the platform’s security, uptime, scalability, and seamless user experience
- Powering digital onboarding, analytics, and cross-border transaction capabilities
- Supporting the robust technology stack that enables women to access global markets
SBTS plays a central role in ensuring that the GTA remains secure, scalable, and capable of supporting millions of users across Africa and the diaspora—making it pivotal to the initiative’s goal of accelerating women-led exports.
