Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria and Chairman of the Advisory Council for the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF), which will take place in Cairo from 11 to 17 December, today in Cairo inspected the Library and Knowledge Centre of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
Chief Obasanjo, who was in Cairo to attend a meeting of the IATF Advisory Council, was accompanied on the tour by Kanayo Awani, Managing Director of Afreximbank’s Intra-African Trade Initiative (IATI), which is spearheading the organization of the IATF.
He met the Bank’s Research and International Cooperation team and was introduced to some of the Bank’s flagship publications, including the African Trade Report; the Journal of African Trade; Contemporary Issues in African Trade and Trade Finance; the Distinguished Lecture Series; and a recently launched publication, the Babacar Ndiaye Lecture Series.
President Obasanjo commended Afreximbank for its efforts to create, preserve and disseminate knowledge in support of Africa’s trade and economic development and emphasized the importance of documenting the Bank’s history and initiatives for posterity and as reference for future generations.
The Library and Knowledge Centre was established to strengthen Afreximbank’s overall response to challenges and opportunities related to trade and trade finance in Africa and to address the information and knowledge needs of staff and stakeholders. It is part of the Bank’s knowledge management function and supports the Bank’s mission to be “a centre of excellence in African trade matters”.
The IATF, the first trade fair of its kind in Africa, is expected to attract more than 1,000 exhibitors and will provide a platform for sharing trade, investment and market information. It will enable buyers and sellers, investors and countries to meet, discuss and conclude business deals and will also provide an opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their goods and services and engage in business-to-business exchanges.