The American University of Nigeria (AUN) has announced the President of the African Export-Import Bank, Professor Benedict Okechukwu Oramah, as Keynote Speaker at its 14th Commencement Ceremony on May 27th. Oramah, who holds a 1991 Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics, is a Professor of International Trade and Finance.

Prof. Oramah will join an elite class of AUN’s Commencement Keynote Speakers which in recent times has included the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Mary Beth Leonard, and President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Interim President of AUN, Professor Attahir Yusuf, who announced Professor Oramah’s choice, described him as a leading expert in his field with over three decades of experience in international trade and finance.

“Professor Oramah has written over 30 articles on various African economic and trade-related topics, many of which have been published in leading international journals,” he said. In October 2008, he was appointed Executive Vice President of the Bank, a position he held until he was appointed President of Afreximbank at the 22nd Annual General Meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, in June 2015.

On the eve of the Commencement, Professor Oramah will commission two new buildings – the School of Law and School of Engineering Complexes – expected to expand and further modernize facilities for law and engineering education at the American University of Nigeria.

According to the Dean of Engineering, Professor Abubakar Sadiq Hussaini, the design concept of the new AUN Engineering Complex follows modifications to some of the Engineering programs, courses, and curriculum to align with the latest industry trends and demands.

The African Export-Import Bank was established in 1993 under the auspices of the African Development Bank (AfDB) by African Governments, African private and institutional investors, and non-African financial institutions and private sectors. It is headquartered in Cairo and operates branches from Abuja, Abidjan, Harare, Kampala, and Yaoundé.

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