Africa International Trade & Commerce Research

What Africa International Trade & Commerce Research does

Africa International Trade & Commerce Research (AITCR, also styled 'The Africa Trade Link') is a privately held, Abuja-based international trade consulting firm that supports governments, private sector organisations, international institutions, and development partners in navigating African trade policy, AfCFTA implementation, cross-border investment, and commodity trade. Its portfolio spans six core service lines — Commodities sourcing and supply, Trade Research, Import and Export consultancy, Invest in Africa investment facilitation, Geographical Indications Advisory, and Policy Services — supplemented by project records documentation and recurring events/webinars such as Monthly Virtual Dialogues. The firm's go-to-market is sales-led, with direct engagement to governments and international organisations and referral-based acquisition through partner networks; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

Underlying technology is limited; AITCR does not build software products or technology platforms. Its assets are human expertise, research publications (including co-produced reports with ODI Global, AfriBorder, and Kickoff Africa on Nigeria's digital trade infrastructure), a maintained content library (blog, webinars, events), and a network across African ministries, multilateral institutions, and development partners. Revenue derives from professional services engagements — consulting, research, advisory, and event-based work — with select disclosed client logos including the Federal Government of Nigeria, World Bank, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, European Union, USAID, Federal Inland Revenue Service of Nigeria, and Crown Agents. The firm is founder/management-led, with Sand Mba Kalu as Executive Director and Dr Mark Abani as Board Chairman, and operates with a small core team of approximately 8-9 named professionals within a stated 11-50 employee range.

Name

Africa International Trade & Commerce Research

Legal name

Africa International Trade & Commerce Research

Website

https://africainternationaltrade.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Africa International Trade & Commerce Research is an Abuja-based consulting firm that advises governments, private sector firms, and international organisations on African trade policy, AfCFTA implementation, commodities sourcing, and cross-border investment across Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Trade Consulting

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (425120)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHALAF

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Research, Analytics & Expert Services

SECONDARYBPAHALAE

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom)

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Research, Analytics & Expert Services

SECONDARYBPADAMAJ

Economic Research, Statistics & Policy Advisory

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Trade & Economic Development

SECONDARYFSACAGAG

Strategy & Thematic Research

Financial & Insurance/Capital Markets & Securities/Securities Research & Analytics

Keywords

• International trade consulting
• Trade policy advisory
• Commodity sourcing services
• Market research services
• AfCFTA implementation support

Headquarters

HQ city

Abuja

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Trade Policy Advisory Services: Consulting engagements with governments, private sector, and international organisations on trade policy formulation, AfCFTA implementation, and regulatory frameworks.
2. Commodity Sourcing and Supply Services: Facilitation and coordination of commodity sourcing and supplies for food crops, agricultural commodities, precious metals, and industrial materials across Africa.
3. Trade Research Services: Market research, business intelligence reports, and data analysis services for organisations and governments seeking to understand African markets.
4. Import and Export Consultancy: Consulting services for import-export operations including documentation, customs clearance, logistics coordination, and market entry support.
5. Investment Facilitation Services: Connecting investors with viable infrastructure capital projects and providing market entry strategy for Africa investments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Africa International Trade & Commerce Research is a trade consulting firm that delivers trade policy advisory, trade research, commodity sourcing, import-export consultancy, investment facilitation, geographical indications advisory, and policy services to governments, private sector organisations, and international institutions operating in or engaging with African markets. The firm supports clients on AfCFTA implementation, market intelligence, and cross-border investment strategy from its base in Abuja, Nigeria.

Product overview

Africa International Trade & Commerce Research (AITCR) offers a portfolio of consulting and advisory services organized into six core service lines: Commodities sourcing and supply management, Trade Research, Import and Export consultancy, Invest in Africa investment advisory, Geographical Indications Advisory, and Policy Services. These services are complemented by Project Records documentation and Events/Webinars. The firm operates as a consulting firm rather than a software product company, providing expert technical assistance to governments, private sector organizations, international organizations, and development partners on trade policy, reforms, and investment across Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commodities Commodity sourcing and supply facilitation service for food crops (rice, wheat, soybeans, cashew nuts, coffee), minerals (gold, iron ore, crude oil, natural gas, copper, aluminium), and industrial materials, including supplier verification, supply chain management, logistics coordination, and inventory optimisation for African markets.
• Trade Research Market research and business intelligence service covering data collection, customer insight, market trend analysis, cultural trends, geographical awareness, and market segmentation entry strategies for organisations and governments operating in African markets.
• Import and Export Consultancy service for import-export operations covering product sourcing from manufacturers, documentation, carrier and route assignments, international fee computation, customs clearance, clearing quotes, and shipment tracking for cross-border trade across Africa.
• Invest in Africa Investment advisory and facilitation service that connects investors with capital seekers, sources viable infrastructure capital projects, applies financing tools, and provides market entry strategy analysis for Africa-based and overseas investors.
• Geographical Indications Advisory Advisory service for the advocacy and implementation of Geographical Indications to support rural development, cultural preservation, and intellectual property protection of traditional goods, including capacity building, workshops, conferences, research, product mapping, and GI policy advisory.
• Policy Services Trade policy advisory service covering Aid to Trade, Africa Free Trade strategy, AfCFTA, poverty reduction, policy review, gender and trade, trade competitiveness, regional trade, trade facilitation, bilateral and multilateral agreement vetting, trade in services, digital economy, and customs tariff.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nigeria processed approximately 22 billion electronic transactions valued at ₦1,558 trillion in first half of 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ODI GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Co-produced the report 'Cross-Border Digital Payments and Identity in Nigeria Under the AfCFTA' examining Nigeria's digital trade infrastructure, payments systems, and identity frameworks. AITCR led primary research and stakeholder engagement for this report.
• AfriBordercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Co-produced the report on cross-border digital payments and identity in Nigeria under AfCFTA, contributing expertise on border trade and cross-border transaction frameworks.
• Kickoff AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Co-produced the report on cross-border digital payments and identity in Nigeria under AfCFTA, providing private sector and entrepreneurship ecosystem perspectives.
• World BankminorOthersDr Mark Abani serves as expert on Internally Generated Revenue, Trade and Agriculture for the World Bank in consultancy capacity.
• The Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationminorOthersDr Mark Abani serves as expert on Trade and Agriculture for the Gates Foundation in consultancy capacity.
• European UnionminorOthersContributed to EU/Nigeria events and seminars on the EU-West Africa Economic Partnership Agreement; participated in various EU-funded programmes and seminars.
• USAIDminorOthersDr Mark Abani served as Senior Project Facilitator (Customs) on the Nigeria Expanded Trade and Transport (NEXTT) programme funded by USAID.
• Crown AgentsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDr Mark Abani served as Managing Director and Country Director (Nigeria) for Crown Agents and subsequently as Non-Executive Director/Consultant on customs-related work.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• International Trade Centre (ITC): A joint UN/WTO agency that supports SME export competitiveness, trade policy, and market intelligence in developing countries, including across Africa. It is an adjacent ecosystem actor, both a potential partner (ITC-trained AITCR's Executive Director) and an institutional competitor for the same donor-funded trade development mandates.

Direct peers

• Genesis Analytics: An Africa-headquartered economics, policy, and impact advisory firm with deep expertise in trade, industrial policy, and regulation. It competes with AITCR for the same donor- and government-funded trade and investment advisory mandates across the continent.
• Development Alternatives Inc (DAI): A global development consultancy implementing donor-funded programmes in trade, economic growth, governance, and customs across Africa. It is a direct peer competing for USAID, FCDO, and World Bank-funded trade and investment mandates in the same geographies and thematic areas as AITCR.
• Adam Smith International: An international development consultancy that advises governments and donors on economic policy, trade, customs, and public financial management across Africa and emerging markets. It is a direct peer in trade policy advisory, customs reform, and AfCFTA-related capacity building work that AITCR targets.
• Dalberg: A global strategy and policy advisory firm with a strong Africa practice serving governments, multilaterals, and foundations on trade, agriculture, and inclusive economic development. It competes with AITCR for the same donor- and government-funded AfCFTA-related mandates and has a similar client base.
• Nathan Associates: An international development economics consultancy with a long track record in trade policy, customs, regional integration, and AfCFTA-adjacent work. It is a direct peer in donor-funded trade policy and competitiveness advisory, particularly for USAID and World Bank-funded programmes.
• AfriBorder: An Africa-focused research and advisory firm specialising in border trade, cross-border transactions, and continental integration, and a co-producer of the 2026 AITCR-ODI report. Its thematic and geographic overlap with AITCR in AfCFTA, customs, and digital trade makes it a closely comparable direct peer.
• ODI Global: A globally recognised international development think tank that co-produced the 2026 AfCFTA cross-border digital payments and identity report with AITCR. ODI Global operates an overlapping remit in trade policy, economic development, and Africa-focused research advisory, making it both a partner and a direct competitor for donor-funded mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Crown Agents: A UK-headquartered international development company implementing public sector reform, customs, and trade facilitation programmes, and a known collaborator of Board Chairman Dr Mark Abani. It is a broader incumbent in the same trade and customs reform space, with deeper programme-implementation capacity than AITCR.
• Tony Blair Institute for Global Change: A large global policy advisory organisation supporting African heads of state and ministers on economic reform, including trade and investment strategy. It is a broad incumbent that competes for high-level government advisory mandates that AITCR also targets, with significantly greater resources and political access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AfricaInternationalTrade
• Xx.com/africatradelink

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Africa International Trade & Commerce Research