Businesses of all sizes thrive on TikTok and use the platform to reach new customers and build their brands.

The initiative will leverage TikTok’s suite of digital commerce tools and reach combined with the ICC’s expertise on international trade, powerful network of national committees and chambers of commerce, to expand access to training, mentorship, and digital resources in Nigeria.

Through this partnership which is also supported by Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, TikTok and ICC will equip small businesses in Nigeria with digital skills and tools to increase revenue opportunities, expand market access, and build long-term resilience.

By connecting global expertise with local business communities, the Digital Commerce Labs will create a scalable education model that can be replicated across markets to help entrepreneurs translate digital knowledge into real-world growth opportunities.

The program is designed to build long-term digital commerce ecosystems by working in close collaboration with national chambers and local organizations.

The program will deliver learning and economic impact through three integrated components:

• Community building will form the foundation, bringing small businesses together through virtual and in-person sessions with relevant local ecosystem partners to foster peer learning and network development.
• Self-led online training modules hosted on a dedicated learning platform will offer participants flexibility and depth, featuring videos produced by local experts, interactive quizzes, and a certificate of completion.
• Virtual classrooms will provide instructor-led learning opportunities where entrepreneurs can engage directly with industry experts, ask questions in real time, and deepen their understanding of digital commerce tools and strategies.

“This partnership marks a powerful step forward in our mission to build a more inclusive, dynamic, and accessible global economy. By joining forces with TikTok to launch the Digital Commerce Labs, we are equipping entrepreneurs and small businesses across ten markets with the practical tools, knowledge, and confidence they need to thrive in the digital age. Ultimately, this initiative is about impact: unlocking opportunity, strengthening resilience, and ensuring that the benefits of digital commerce are shared more widely. Together, we are helping shape a more inclusive future for businesses globally,” said John W.H. Denton AO, secretary general, International Chamber of Commerce.

“We’ve seen how small businesses can grow rapidly on TikTok by connecting with communities in authentic ways. This has reinforced the importance of educating small business owners on how they can go beyond visibility and actively support their long-term success. Our partnership with the International Chamber of Commerce, NITDA and Lagos State Employment Trust Fund is an important step in that direction, equipping entrepreneurs with the resources they need to scale and thrive” said Tokunbo Ibrahim, acting head of Government Relations & Public Policy, Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok.

The Digital Commerce Labs program is expected to launch across 10 countries, supporting entrepreneurs through community programming, digital learning resources, and virtual training sessions.

The program will launch in select markets across Latin America and Africa this spring, followed by a broader expansion across Africa and to Thailand later this year.

Small businesses in Nigeria are encouraged to sign up to stand a chance to be a part of the comprehensive training programme, designed specifically to help local entrepreneurs sharpen their skills and scale effectively.

The program was held in partnership with the Lagos Innovates Team of Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), and technical support from Optimus AI Labs, among other professionals.   

Over the past three weeks, 15 startup founders received training and resources on incorporating AI into their businesses, along with mentorship to boost their growth. Only three earned the spotlight. 

In the keynote address, Feyisayo Alayande, the executive secretary, LSETF, represented by Adekunle Oyenekan, head, Risk Management, Monitoring and Internal Control, LSETF, asserted:

“Entrepreneurship is the ability to face a thousand rejections, and still show up the next day with the same energy.” This was a summary of what every startup in that room had faced.

GoPrudy took the top spot with its focus on “Personal Finance, Management, Simplified for Africans. Budgeting and Finance Tracking that works.”

It’s a vision that aligns across a continent where financial literacy tools usually miss the mark. The startup’s focus on practical, culturally-aware financial solutions placed it ahead of others.

InternPulse took second place with a solution targeted at the tech talent pipeline: “We help aspiring developers, product designers, and product managers gain real working experience within 8 weeks.” 

The startup’s mission is to shrink the skills gap affecting Africa’s thriving tech sector. With a focus on bootcamp graduates and giving them hands-on experience, InternPulse is standing at the heart of talent development.

VeriTalent came in third. With its AI-powered platform, it’s aiming to bolster career validation and employability tracking. Their pitch? “AI-powered Career Validation & Employability Intelligence Platform.” Data now shapes decisions, and this solution provides clarity for both employers and candidates.

The Demo Day was the capstone of the accelerator’s pilot phase,  a completion of weeks of business model refinement, mentoring, and prototype development. 

Each of the 15 startups that entered the program carried potential. But only five were able to pitch on Demo Day. We saw founders put everything on the line: their ideas, their execution, their grit.

The winners, GoPrudy, InternPulse, and VeriTalent, will receive access to the Lagos Innovates Workspace Vouchers, providing them with more time to develop their products and gain further mentorship and opportunities. 

All five startups that pitched will also receive cloud credits from Simplified IQ, an edtech software as a service for assessments

Behind each pitch was a team. Behind each win, a story. And behind each story, the belief that Africa’s next breakout startup might not come from Silicon Valley copycats—but from those who truly understand the challenges we face, and choose to build anyway.

“AI is no longer a distant person which we all acknowledge and accept, but it is now a present, a phenomenon and a future theory. It is a solution and idea that must continue to drive.”