AU Trade Commissioner Albert Muchanga to Headline Second Edition of Afreximbank Trade and Development Seminar

Categories: Press Releases

Cairo, 01 December 2017: – The second edition of the African Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) Trade and Development Seminar Series will take place in Cairo on 5 December with a keynote lecture delivered by Albert Muchanga, the African Union’s Commissioner for Trade and Industry.

Albert Muchanga, African Union Commissioner for Trade and Industry

Albert Muchanga, African Union Commissioner for Trade and Industry

Mr. Muchanga will speak on the theme: “The Continental Free Trade Area in an Era of Pessimism over Multilateralism: Critical Success Factors and Prognosis”.

He is expected to use the platform to discuss the latest developments in the march towards the Continental Free Trade Area in Africa, including the challenges and progress made and the options for effectively accelerating the implementation.

The Commissioner will also present a vision for the future of African economic and trade integration, focusing on the role of regional and international finance institutions in promoting the integration process.

The Afreximbank Trade and Development Seminar Series was introduced in 2016 to promote excellence in African trade and development and to provide a platform to articulate African trade and development finance issues, while enhancing the role of the Bank as a global player in development economics, trade and development finance.

The seminar series also provides an opportunity for global leaders in the business and development community, experts, diplomats, leading policy makers and representatives from the academic community to share perspectives on African trade and economic development issues.

Dr. Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, speaking while launching the series on 17 October 2016, said that it will help to “close the knowledge gap and enhance the competitiveness of African economies in a world where growth and trade performance are driven by increasing technological and knowledge content”.

Florizelle Liser, who was the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa at the time, delivered the inaugural lecture at the Bank’s Cairo Headquarters.

Participants in the maiden seminar included ambassadors and other senior members of the diplomatic corps in Egypt, high ranking Egyptian public officials, private sector representatives, heads of multilateral institutions and international organisations based in Egypt, and members of the media.

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Media Contact: Obi Emekekwue (oemekekwue@afreximbank.com; Tel. +202-2456-4238)

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About Afreximbank:

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is the foremost pan-African multilateral financial institution devoted to financing and promoting intra- and extra-African trade. The Bank was established in October 1993 by African governments, African private and institutional investors, and non-African investors. Its two basic constitutive documents are the Establishment Agreement, which gives it the status of an international organization, and the Charter, which governs its corporate structure and operations. Since 1994, it has approved more than $51 billion in credit facilities for African businesses, including about $10.3 billion in 2016. Afreximbank had total assets of $11.7 billion as at 31 December 2016 and is rated BBB+ (GCR), Baa1 (Moody’s), and BBB- (Fitch). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo. For more information, visit: www.afreximbank.com