Ijeoma Okonkwo is a visionary entrepreneur and builder of the global trade ecosystem who has been dedicated to connecting African businesses with international opportunities for over 15 years. Through her leadership of multiple strategic platforms, she has directly impacted more than 5,000 companies in 20 locations around the world and is a leader in African entrepreneurship and cross-border trade facilitation. She holds a degree from Nnamdi Azikiwe University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Lagos. Mr. Okonkwo has been the Head of Operations at NaijaBrandChick (NBC) since 2019 and is currently launching Traxis to tell the world about African business in a way that attracts investment, fosters trade and creates sustainable growth. In this interview, she talks about building and advancing the global trade ecosystem.
How did your early experience in mass communication influence your transition from media to entrepreneurship and building a global trade ecosystem?
My background in mass communications has given me a strong foundation in understanding the psychology behind people, stories, and influence. Working at Nigezie exposed me to fast-paced media production and honed my ability to observe trends, manage teams, and communicate clearly. Those communication skills became my greatest asset as I transitioned into entrepreneurship, first through Pixieworld Events and then as the operations manager for the NaijaBrandChick trade show. They helped us build systems, align stakeholders, and turn our business vision into an experience entrepreneurs could relate to. Ultimately, because trade is fundamentally about storytelling, relationships, and value positioning, its foundations have led to a leap forward into a global trade ecosystem that builds a natural evolution.
You believe that storytelling and emotional intelligence are your core strengths. How have these competencies shaped your leadership approach across the venture?
Storytelling helps build clarity and purpose within teams and projects. People perform at their best when they understand the “why” behind their work. I use storytelling to align teams around vision, outcomes, and mission. Emotional intelligence allows you to lead with empathy, handle pressure, and build trust. Whether I’m coordinating thousands of vendors at the NBC Trade Fair or coaching the editorial team at Traxis, I focus on reading people, anticipating their needs, and communicating in a way that motivates rather than overwhelms. Combining these strengths allows us to create an environment where people feel recognized, empowered and driven to pursue excellence.
As the Operations Director of NaijaBrandChick, you have expanded a single trade show into a dominant small business platform. What operational frameworks are critical to achieving this level of consistency and scale?
Three major frameworks have driven its growth. Standardized processes: Every aspect, from vendor onboarding to stall layout, logistics and customer flow, has been broken down into repeatable processes. This ensured consistency regardless of size. Data-backed decisions: Analyzed foot traffic patterns, vendor categories, peak hours, and revenue behavior. These insights allowed us to optimize space, pricing, traffic management, and marketing. Talent and stakeholder management: People are the real driving force at large trade events. We focused on building a high-performing operations team, strong vendor relationships, and clear communication channels. This reduced errors, increased vendor trust, and ultimately grew the NBC platform.
After years of building platforms for entrepreneurs, what industry gaps or inefficiencies influenced the launch of Traxis?
We found that while African entrepreneurs are innovative and hard-working, they struggle with visibility, market positioning, and international reach. Many platforms were focused on sales, but not on telling a deeper business story or preparing small businesses for global expansion. There was also a disconnect between African businesses and the investors, partners and global markets that seek to understand them. Traxis was founded to fill that gap by documenting their business, simplifying their path to market, and spotlighting trusted African brands ready to scale.
Traxis positions itself as a catalyst for storytelling, training and market access for African businesses. What is the core problem that the platform solves?
Traxis solves information asymmetry and visibility problems. African companies often have strong products but lack the data-backed storytelling, credibility assets, investment, partnerships and strategic exposure needed to attract global opportunities. We help companies package for the world through documentation, trade information, training and a platform that introduces them to new markets. Simply put, Traxis makes African businesses easy to find, easy to understand, and accessible from around the world.
From your experience working in 20 locations around the world, what are the top three mistakes African companies make when trying to enter international markets?
Weak documentation and compliance: Many companies underestimate the importance of internationally required certifications, export documentation, traceability, and quality standards. Lack of market research: Some believe that a product that is successful domestically will automatically be successful overseas without adapting pricing, packaging, consumer behavior, or regulation. Poor brand presentation: Many businesses struggle with storytelling, brand identity, and digital visibility. These three are essential to building trust in the global marketplace.
How do you assess the current readiness of African SMEs for global expansion and what structural changes are still needed to gain broader participation?
African SMEs have the creativity, resilience and innovation needed to expand globally, but their level of readiness is still emerging. To enable broader participation, we need to: Stronger trade education: More entrepreneurs need training in export preparation, compliance, and global standards. Improving access to finance: Affordable trade finance and export-friendly credit structures remain limited. Infrastructure improvements: Logistics, warehousing and cross-border payment systems need to become more efficient. As these changes deepen, African SMEs will expand internationally faster.
As a mother of three and a multilingual professional managing multiple platforms, how do you maintain operational discipline and personal bandwidth?
I operate with strict priorities and structure. Delegate effectively, automate repetitive tasks, and build a strong team so I don’t become the bottleneck. I also protect my energy, rest, time with my kids, and mental clarity. Being multilingual can also help you connect faster, reduce friction, and improve communication in different markets. Overall, discipline for me is about balance. It’s all about focusing on what’s important and letting go of what’s not important.
What are your long-term ambitions for Traxis and how do you envision its role in shaping Africa’s global trade story over the next decade?
My long-term ambition is for Traxis to become Africa’s leading trade intelligence and market access platform. It documents thousands of African businesses, prepares them for international expansion and connects them to global opportunities. Over the next decade, I envision Traxis shaping the story of global trade by showing the world the depth, quality and potential of African production. We want to be the bridge that takes African businesses from regional relevance to global competitiveness, using storytelling, data and partnerships as tools.
