Temvert Empowerment Foundation took part in the 2026 WTO Public Forum, held in Geneva from 15 to 17 September under the theme “Powering the Future”. The Forum brings together governments, businesses, civil society and young people to discuss how trade, innovation, technology, investment and cooperation can shape the global economy, with particular attention to services trade and its role in development and job creation.
Our Founder and Executive Director, Temitayo Olatunde, attended to understand how global trade discussions affect countries like Nigeria. Tariff decisions reach businesses, micro, small and medium enterprises, informal traders and consumers through higher costs and prices, and the conversations in Geneva shape the conditions under which they trade.
He followed three sessions closely. The first looked at how Africa can unlock its digital services trade. The session highlighted that technology alone does not carry a country far, and that cross-border payments, interoperability, digital identity, trusted data, regulation and access to finance also matter. His view is that Nigeria should focus on using digital systems to trade and to provide services, as well as to consume digital products.
The second session asked whether the foundations of global trade are moving towards a new equilibrium. One speaker, Dr Wang Huiyao, remarked that “If it’s not rule-based, then it becomes power-based.” For Temitayo, the remark makes the case for protecting the multilateral trading system, so that developing economies have the predictability they need to plan and grow.
The third session explained how the Most Favoured Nation principle can guide responsible reform. A simple pen analogy showed how equal treatment allows countries to compete on fair terms and gives consumers more choice.
Temitayo shared his reflections in an interview with Tribune Online, where he urged Nigerian leaders to pay closer attention to global trade realities and position the country for emerging opportunities. He called for investment in skills, digital infrastructure, productive businesses and finance, support for a rules-based multilateral trading system, and clear pathways for young Nigerians and MSMEs. He used the example of a small trader whose income pays for her children’s schooling to show how worsening trade conditions reach households, and why leaders should address root causes early.
Temvert Empowerment Foundation is committed to engaging with the forums that shape trade and investment, and to bringing grassroots and youth perspectives into them. Our participation at the WTO Public Forum is part of that work, and we will continue to share what we learn with the communities and partners we serve.
