Verto Convenes Landmark UK–Nigeria Youth Entrepreneurship Forum In London To Scale African Startups Amid Presidential State Visit

Verto, SMEDAN, and the Ministry of Youth Development convene in London to scale Nigerian startups and simplify cross-border payments for African SMEs.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 21, 2026, 8:45 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Business Hallmark

Connecting Nigerian Innovation to Global Capital

As Nigerian startups increasingly look toward international expansion, Verto, a leading cross-border payments platform, has taken a decisive step to facilitate global market entry. The UK–Nigeria Youth Entrepreneurship Forum, held recently in London, served as a high-level intersection for policymakers, investors, and startup founders. By aligning the event with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom, organizers leveraged the heightened diplomatic momentum to focus specifically on the untapped potential of Nigeria’s youth-driven digital economy.

Strategic Partnerships for SME Growth

The forum was not merely a private initiative but a structured collaboration with key Nigerian government agencies, including the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the Ministry of Youth Development. This partnership underscores a unified approach to addressing the systemic barriers that prevent local businesses from scaling. Discussions centered on the theme of “Leveraging Youth Development, Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” with a particular emphasis on how institutional support can create more predictable pathways for startups navigating the transition from local to global operations.

Simplifying the Financial Hurdles of International Trade

A central highlight of the event was the keynote address by Verto’s Co-Founder and CEO, Ola Oyetayo. Oyetayo articulated a vision where financial borders no longer act as a deterrent to African ingenuity. He emphasized that Verto’s primary mission is to democratize access to global trade finance by simplifying the complexities of moving money across various jurisdictions. By providing efficient, cross-border payment solutions, the platform aims to empower Nigerian SMEs to compete on a level playing field with their international counterparts, effectively integrating them into the global value chain.