Cairo, 06 January 2025: –Afreximbank Academy (AFRACAD) today in Cairo announced the opening of registration for its 5th Annual Certificate of Trade Finance in Africa (COTFIA) programme which seeks to enhance the trade finance skills and knowledge of African professionals.
Developed by Afreximbank Academy (AFRACAD), in partnership with FCI and the Onsi Sawiris School of Business at The American University in Cairo (AUC), the programme is open to all African finance and banking professionals as well as other practitioners interested in trade finance.
The programme provides in-depth knowledge of international trade finance instruments and addresses various aspects related to access to finance, and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which is expected to have a significant impact on improving Intra-African trade. Participants will also benefit from the opportunity to share knowledge and network with their peers from Global Africa.
Mr. Stephen Tio Kauma, Managing Director, Human Resources at Afreximbank, highlighted that COTFIA is AFRACAD’s flagship programme designed to support one of Afreximbank’s strategic priorities: improving trade-related skills in Africa and addressing trade capacity gaps to create a more conducive trading environment that enables Africa to compete globally.
He said: “The content of the COTFIA programme has been carefully developed to enhance participants’ understanding of all aspects of international trade finance and has been continuously updated to conform to best practices.” He added, “Additionally, the programme addresses various aspects related to the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which is expected to have a significant impact on improving intra-African trade.”
The 2025 cohort will follow a blended format, including five modules delivered via instructor-led online virtual sessions, one module delivered through face-to-face sessions at the AUC campus in New Cairo, Egypt, and the final module delivered asynchronously online.
In line with AFRACAD’s commitment to supporting participants, AFRACAD will continue offering the scholarship covering 50 per cent of tuition fees for the first seven applicants for this year’s programme.
More than 100 trainees across eight cohorts have participated and benefited from the COFTIA programme since its inception in 2016.
The deadline for applications for the 2025 COTFIA programme is 1st of May 2025 at 09:59 GMT.
Interested applicants can download the programme brochure and register by clicking here:
ENDS
About Afreximbank
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra-and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank is setting up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2023, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at over US$37.3 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$6.1 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa1), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.
For more information, visit: www.afreximbank.com
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Media Contact:
Vincent Musumba
Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations)
Email: press@afreximbank.com