Abuja, Nigeria – 25 June 2025 – The Afreximbank Annual Meetings (AAM2025) commenced in Abuja, Nigeria, with the sole purpose of uniting global and African leaders to shape the future of trade and investment.
With the theme of Building the Future on Decades of Resilience, the meeting that has attracted over 7,000 registered delegates will see the Continental financial institution review its 32 years progress of existence as it seeks to tackle Africa’s challenges and move towards Africa’s blueprint and masterplan 2063 aiming to transforming the continent into a socio-economic global powerhouse.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Mr. Yemi Cardoso, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said fostering greater strategic cohesion among African countries will secure Africa’s future, adding that this should be done by accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) treaty, deepening regional integration, and building robust engagement with the African diaspora.
“To secure the future that we envision, we must foster greater strategic cohesion among African member states,“ said Mr. Cardoso, who also commended the Afreximbank leadership and Board for their work in redefining the meaning of diaspora and forming partnerships with the African diaspora including the Caribbean.
Dr. Terrance M. Drew, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, issued a powerful call for deeper integration between Africa and the Caribbean, underpinned by strategic collaboration, mutual investment, and a shared vision for global economic empowerment adding that those ties must now be translated into tangible systems and institutions.
“Saint Kitts and Nevis was proud to be the first country in the Caribbean to sign an MoU with Afreximbank. We believed in the Bank’s vision and that decision has become one of the most impactful and future-facing we have made in recent years, not just for our nation, but for the entire CARICOM region,” Dr. Drew shared.
During the occasion, the Bank launched two flagship report: 2025 Africa Trade Report and the 2025 Africa Trade and Economics Report, with both exhibiting Africa’s adaptive nature to global socio-economic challenges over the last few years. The African Trade Report particularly emphasizes the importance of advancing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which is becoming a foundation for trade resilience across the region and in his words, Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank said: “This year’s report provides a compelling roadmap for Africa to reposition itself in a volatile global economy. From strengthening trade finance systems to accelerating AfCFTA, the message is clear: Africa must turn global fragmentation into an opportunity for industrialization, digital progress, and greater control over its financial systems.”
Also in attendance on the first day of the meetings was Hon P.J Patterson, Former Prime Minister of Jamaica, among other Senior Officials and business leaders from Nigeria and other countries in Africa and the Caribbean.
Afreximbank Annual Meetings is one of the most anticipated gatherings on the African continent, featuring high-level policy discussions, presentations, and side events on issues pertinent to the socio-economic development of Africa as well as business networking sessions that drive integration through trade and investments.
The meetings are being attended by Heads of State, government officials, captains of industry, businesspeople, decision-makers, academics, respected experts and advisors from Africa, the CARICOM region and globally.
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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 industrialisation 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 has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40.1 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa1), China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB-). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its equity 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.
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