Digital Marketplace Exportpadi Aims To Simplify African Commodity Exports

Fadekemi Ajakaiye

Agricultural commodities remain one of Africa’s largest sources of export revenue, yet access to global markets is still uneven for many small scale producers and commodity merchants. While the continent produces large volumes of crops such as sesame, ginger, cocoa and cashew, participation in export trade is often concentrated among a small number of established exporters. Smaller farmers and aggregators frequently depend on layers of intermediaries before their produce reaches international buyers. The structure can make the export process difficult to navigate and may affect both pricing transparency and earnings across the value chain.

In recent years, technology startups have begun exploring ways to simplify cross border commodity trade by using digital platforms to link producers directly with buyers. These platforms attempt to organise sourcing, documentation and payments in ways that reduce the operational complexity traditionally associated with exports.

Exportpadi, a leading startup is addressing this gap by building a marketplace that connects African agricultural commodities suppliers with international buyers through a structured digital platform.
The company operates a system that allows farmers, aggregators and commodity merchants to supply agricultural produce while overseas buyers place orders through the platform. Instead of buyers travelling into producing countries to search for suppliers, the platform is designed to allow sourcing of high quality agricultural produce and transaction processes to take place online while export logistics are coordinated locally.

At the centre of the platform is a transaction structure built around supplier verification, quality inspection and escrow-based payments. In an exclusive interview, it was gathered that sellers are verified before being listed on the marketplace. Once a buyer places an order, the payment is held in escrow to ensure that the commodity delivered by the supplier meets the agreed quality specification.
According to information gathered during an exclusive interview, Tobiloba Olagbende said the system was designed to address trust concerns that often arise in international commodity trade and to support the export of high quality agricultural commodities.

“We have been trading commodities locally for over a decade and exporting agricultural commodities for about four years,” Olagbende said. “During that time we saw that many farmers and aggregators have the produce but do not have access to buyers, while international buyers are also looking for reliable suppliers.”

He explained that the platform organises the trade in such a way that gives both buyers and sellers clearer transaction terms.

According to him, once a buyer selects a supplier and places an order, the seller is required to deliver the commodity within a specified period, usually within forty eight hours. The company then conducts quality checks to confirm that the produce meets the agreed standards before export documentation and shipment arrangements begin.

“When the commodity arrives we inspect it to ensure it meets the quality specification agreed with the buyer,” Olagbende said. “After that the export preparation begins and the seller receives part payment while shipment arrangements are completed.”

The remaining balance is released to the supplier after the commodity arrives at the buyer’s destination.
Exportpadi’s model is intended to ensure that buyers receive the quality of produce they paid for while suppliers are paid according to agreed market price.. The company also monitors local commodity price levels in order to maintain what it describes as fair transactions between both parties.
Beyond facilitating transactions, the platform also verifies the identity and business details of sellers before they are allowed to trade.

“We carry out verification checks on the sellers and their businesses before onboarding them on the platform,” Olagbende said. “Buyers can then choose from verified suppliers and complete the transaction through the system.”

The company has also partnered with a bank to support payment processing for suppliers operating on the platform.

Mr Samson Iroko the co-founder added, the platform was also designed to simplify export participation for smaller farmers and commodity merchants who may not have direct access to international markets.
“In many traditional export transactions, agricultural produce passes through several intermediaries before reaching the final buyer,” Samson said. “In some cases there can be three or four middlemen involved, which increases the price for buyers and reduces what farmers or aggregators earn.”
Although digital platforms are beginning to emerge in agricultural trade, Nigeria’s commodity export sector is still largely dominated by traditional trading networks. Exporters typically rely on agents and commodity merchants who source produce from rural markets and supply international buyers.
Industry observers say agricultural commodities often pass through several layers of intermediaries before reaching their final destination in international markets.

Mr Olufiade Oluleye further stated, platforms such as Exportpadi aim to redefine and streamline that process by enabling buyers to transact directly with verified suppliers through a single digital system.
Despite the opportunities in agricultural exports, building technology platforms for the sector also comes with challenges. Access to reliable supplier data, maintaining quality standards and building trust between buyers and sellers are some of the issues companies operating in the space must address.
Adoption can also take time as many farmers and commodity merchants are accustomed to traditional trading arrangements.

Exportpadi is registered in the United States and the United Kingdom and works with international buyers who source agricultural commodities from Africa. Its experience in local commodity trading informed the development of the platform.

The idea for the system was influenced by Olagbende’s experience working in the commodity trading sector and observing the operational challenges faced by both buyers and sellers.
“Exporting agricultural commodities can be difficult for many people who do not have the technical knowledge of the process; some suppliers have the produce but do not know how to reach international buyers.”

He added that international buyers also incur significant costs when they send representatives to source commodities directly from producing regions.

By organising sourcing and export processes through a digital platform, Exportpadi is believed to simplify cross border transactions while allowing suppliers to participate more easily in export trade.
He concluded, the long term goal is to allow suppliers across different parts of Africa to access global markets through a more organised export system. Africa has a large agricultural base and a growing population involved in farming and commodity trade. If more suppliers can connect with international markets, it can create economic opportunities across the value chain.

Africa remains one of the world’s major producers of agricultural commodities, and expanding structured access to international markets could strengthen the economies of producing countries.