By Adam Elhiraika, Wafa Aidi, Amged B. Shwehdy and Oumaima Tounchibine
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are a key pillar of economic resilience in Libya and Tunisia, particularly when led by women and youth. Yet, they still face significant challenges: limited access to finance, uneven adoption of digital technologies, complex trade frameworks, and difficulties integrating into regional and continental markets. In 2025, prior assessments conducted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Subregional Office for North Africa, revealed the urgent need to strengthen export readiness, financial resilience, and awareness of the opportunities offered by the AfCFTA.
To address these needs, the ECA Subregional Office for North Africa launched a targeted capacity-building program, which supported 35 SMEs—26 in Tunisia and 10 in Libya—between August and September 2025. This program is a continuation of the programs already conducted in Morocco and Mauritania. Its methodology combines preliminary surveys, online preparatory sessions, an in-person workshop, and a virtual follow-up planned for September 2025. The objective is to empower entrepreneurs around three strategic pillars: export readiness, access to finance, and digital and sustainable transformation.
Three virtual sessions held throughout August introduced the main themes of the program and prepared participants for the in-person work. The intensive workshop, held in Tunis from September 9 to 12, 2025, brought together experts and practitioners for in-depth technical sessions, concrete case studies, and practical exercises. The event was organized in close collaboration with national partners in Tunisia and Libya and supported by several leading international institutions, including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). It also benefited from the participation of key financial institutions such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
During the workshop, participants developed concrete action plans to strengthen their export readiness, refine their business strategies, and explore the opportunities offered by the ATEX platform. They also received practical advice on integrating sustainable practices and adopting digital tools into their operations. Tunisian and Libyan SME managers participated in interactive coaching sessions on digital marketing, the use of e-commerce platforms, financial planning, and green financing mechanisms, strengthening their ability to operate in a constantly evolving business environment.
As Slim Oueslati, Training Officer at the ECA Subregional Office for North Africa, noted: “One of the most striking aspects of the workshop was how quickly participants moved from learning to action… During the financing session, the energy went far beyond the training room.” His observations were confirmed by other trainers, who witnessed participants registering live on AfCFTA platforms and immediately interacting with financial institutions.
The program was supported and co-facilitated by key national stakeholders, including the Tunisian Ministry of Commerce and the Libyan Ministry of Economy and Trade. This collaboration helped anchor the initiative in national development priorities and strengthen its local ownership. As Mr. Abdallah El Jadi, head of the Libyan delegation, emphasized: “This program is fully in line with Libya’s strategic priorities aimed at making SMEs drivers of innovation, job creation, and economic diversification beyond the hydrocarbon sector.” In the same vein, Mr. Tarek Bouhlel, representative of the Tunisian Ministry of Commerce, added that this program “is fully in line with the future national strategy for the development of SMEs 2026-2030, while complementing key initiatives such as CAP Emplois and Start-up ACT.” Participant feedback demonstrates the workshop’s concrete impact:
Jihan Mtawa (Libya): “This program helped me rethink my project through the lens of sustainability and understand how to leverage the AfCFTA to access new markets.”
Lamia Burwis (Libya): “The training clarified the access points for Libyan crafts to African markets and connected me to credible business support portals.”
Alaa Chaibi (Tunisia): “As a technology entrepreneur, the sessions on legal barriers and digital readiness helped structure our expansion strategy to Libya and beyond.”
This program is part of the ECA Sub-Regional Office for North Africa’s ongoing efforts to operationalize the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) through national capacity building, while directly contributing to several Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality (SDG 5), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), as well as the fight against climate change (SDG 13).
With more than 430 SMEs supported to date in North Africa, the Tunisia-Libya group is strengthening a regional ecosystem of businesses led by young people and women, better prepared for export and more resilient in the face of financial and climatic shocks.
As the follow-up phase begins, ECA reaffirms its commitment to working closely with its national and regional partners to build a more inclusive, interconnected and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem in North Africa, capable of stimulating innovation, creating economic opportunities and strengthening regional integration.