By MARTINS AZUWIKE

The Federal Government of Nigeria and Afreximbank have signed the Host Country Agreement for the 32nd Afreximbank Annual Meetings (AAM) in Abuja, Nigeria from 23-28 June 2025

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.

Information from Afreximbank?s head office says: ?The 32nd Afreximbank Annual Meetings in June 2025 is expected to be the largest gathering of Global Africa in the Bank?s Annual Meetings history, bringing together more than 6,000 delegates including Heads of State, government officials, captains of industry, businesspeople, decision-makers, academics, respected experts and advisors from Africa, the CARICOM region and globally.?

Nigeria?s Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, H.E. Wale Edun, has highlighted the significance of the agreement, emphasising the country?s strong partnership with Afreximbank and its commitment to fostering trade and economic growth for Africa and beyond.

He said: ?Nigeria is honoured to host the 2025 Afreximbank Annual Meetings, which will serve as a critical platform to drive discussions on trade financing, economic growth, and investment opportunities across Africa.? He added: ?This event is a testament to our commitment to strengthening Africa?s financial sector and positioning Nigeria as a hub for economic transformation.?

Prof Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Afreximbank said: ?We greatly appreciate the Federal Government of Nigeria?s acceptance to host the 2025 Afreximbank Annual Meetings, which demonstrates our united determination to accelerating Africa?s economic growth and development.

?The Government of Nigeria has been a steadfast partner and a strong backbone of the Bank. It has consistently responded positively to capital calls, injecting significant equity into the Bank even when the economic environment seemed challenging; removing regulatory hurdles that would otherwise inhibit the Bank?s business in Nigeria, and being at the forefront of rallying continental support for the Bank.?

?This year?s theme, ?Building the Future on Decades of Resilience,? reflects the progress that we have made over the past three decades and the bold steps that are imperative to navigate the increasingly complex global landscape. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) has given our continent an unrivalled opportunity to deliver sustainable economic transformation that will propel Africa?s economic growth and raise living standards and prosperity for all Africans.

?Afreximbank Annual Meetings will provide a platform to reflect on our journey, celebrate contributions, and chart a path forward that reinforces our continent?s economic independence and global influence. We look forward to welcoming and meeting stakeholders from across Africa and other parts of the world to Abuja for this prestigious event.?

Prof. Oramah noted that Nigeria?s unwavering support to Afreximbank has been the primary driver of the Bank?s strong continental impact. ?The impact on the Nigerian economy is equally palpable. Being the largest recipient of the Bank?s trade and development finance, Nigeria has attracted cumulative disbursements of about US$52 billion in addition to being the first beneficiary of several flagship transformative projects being executed by the Bank such as the African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE), African Quality Assurance Centre (AQAC), Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC), among others.

It was gathered that this year?s event comes on the backdrop of the highly successful 2024 AAM, held in Nassau, The Bahamas and attended by more than 4,000 delegates, including more than 20 Heads of State, government ministers, high-level dignitaries, global experts, and world-renowned celebrities and artists.

Afreximbank was established when the shareholders held their first General Meeting in Abuja, Nigeria in October 1993. Today, Nigeria is Afreximbank?s second-largest shareholder.

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance, facilitate and promote intra and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative instruments 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 AfCFTA, Afreximbank has in partnership with the African Union Commission and AFCFTA Secretariat launched the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) which has been adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the African Free Trade Area agreement. The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank have created a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries to effectively participate 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.

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