By Ebi Kesiena
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), has stated that its 30th Annual Meeting will take place in Accra, Ghana, from 18 to 21 June 2023.
In a statement, the bank noted that the event will mark the high point of the Bank’s year-long 30th anniversary celebrations, under the theme “Delivering the Vision. Building Prosperity for Africans”.
According to the statement, the 30th Afreximbank Annual Meetings and 30th Anniversary celebrations will bring together on one platform thousands of people, including African and Caribbean leaders and senior government officials, African, Caribbean and other policymakers, corporate leaders, bankers, academia and other thought leaders. The meetings will include the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders and an extensive seminar programme, featuring plenaries and side events.
President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Professor Benedict Oramah stated that “We thank His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Government for graciously accepting to host Afreximbank’s 30th Annual Meetings. Thirty years ago, the founding fathers of Afreximbank launched a bold initiative for Africans. The hard work of the past three decades, in pursuit of that vision, has shaped what Afreximbank has become today. Member States, clients, customers and partners, the business and international trade community, all those in Africa and the diaspora who strive for the prosperity of African people are invited to join us in Accra to celebrate the Bank’s achievements and reflect on its future in an increasingly turbulent world”
In the same vein, Ghana’s Finance Minister, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, noted that, “It is only fitting that the commemoration of this milestone for Africa’s key Trade Finance institution is co-organised by the host of AFCFTA Secretariat, the Government, and people of Ghana, who are determined torch bearers for Africa’s quest for trade expansion and integration. This is another opportunity to deepen cooperation and seek African solutions to Africa’s challenges.”
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 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 to effectively participate in the AfCFTA. At the end of 2022, Afreximbank’s total assets and guarantees stood at over US$31 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$5.2 billion.
The Bank disbursed more than US$86 billion between 2016 and 2022. 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”).