As AgroNigeria deepens its partnership with the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI), conversations around market intelligence, farmer inclusion, and export readiness are becoming more important than ever.
In this interview, Verdure Capital Consultants CEO, Mr. Chukwuma Kalu, shares a candid investor and ecosystem perspective on what it truly takes for market intelligence to translate into real agribusiness impact — from reaching last-mile farmers to strengthening Nigeria’s competitiveness under AfCFTA.
It’s a timely reflection on opportunity, structure, and the practical steps needed to turn information into inclusive growth.
Read the full interview below;
Do you believe integrating CBI’s market intelligence into a platform like AgroNigeria can help reduce the information gap and improve export readiness for Nigerian agribusinesses?
It is a commendable step and a strong partnership. However, the real question is how far the platform truly reaches. The ultimate beneficiaries must be the farmers. If it does not effectively connect with them, it risks missing the mark from the outset.
The agricultural market is already fragmented, with too many platforms and too little farmer-centric thinking. If this initiative does not reach the last mile, it will simply add to the growing number of platforms already in existence.
Building a platform is not a quick fix. Real impact lies in empowering those at the grassroots. Farmers still struggle with access to finance, inputs, and reliable information, despite being the backbone of the food system. Yet they remain the least empowered in the value chain.
While disseminating credible export market intelligence through this CBI partnership is a positive move, many rural farmers are not active online. The challenge, therefore, is how to take this information beyond the digital space and deliver it directly to farmers in remote communities.
Communication must translate into practical value. If it connects farmers to markets, inputs, and financing, then it serves its purpose. Otherwise, there is a risk of further empowering middlemen, who are already better positioned to capitalize on such information, while farmers’ realities remain unchanged. The key is ensuring that intelligence is intentionally distilled and delivered to the true end users.
Beyond Europe, how can initiatives like this strengthen Nigeria’s trade positioning within the African Continental Free Trade Area framework?
Strengthening trade positioning begins with improving the ease of doing business. From farm to export, Nigeria faces structural challenges, including information asymmetry and weak infrastructure, which limit competitiveness.
The real game changer will be advocacy—working with government, private sector players, and financiers to translate opportunities into action. Infrastructure improvements and policy alignment are essential. When these structural gaps are addressed, timely access to credible information will have far greater impact.
This initiative must go beyond sharing information; it must help unlock opportunities.
From an investor perspective, does improved access to market intelligence reduce perceived risk in agribusiness ventures?
Yes, absolutely. Access to accurate and timely market intelligence significantly reduces perceived risk and strengthens investment confidence.
How might this development influence financing decisions in export-oriented agricultural enterprises?
Timeliness is critical in trade. Opportunities are lost when not acted upon promptly. Reliable market intelligence supports better investment decisions by clarifying opportunities and how to exploit them.
To stand out, the platform must go beyond information-sharing. Strong stakeholder engagement with government institutions, financial actors, Chambers of Commerce, and embassies—is essential to ensure opportunities are executed, particularly within AfCFTA. Structured collaboration will differentiate the platform from others.
How does centralized access to EU market intelligence reshape Nigeria’s long-term agribusiness competitiveness?
Centralized access to EU market intelligence is valuable and opens doors to new opportunities. Strong trading relationships, such as those with the Netherlands, demonstrate how catalytic partnerships can advance agribusiness development.
However, the structural gap between information and rural farmers remains. Until there is a clear mechanism to transmit such intelligence to the last mile and enable farmers to leverage it,
competitiveness will remain constrained.
This partnership is timely and a step in the right direction—but sustained impact will depend on closing the remaining structural gaps.
