Preparations have intensified for the 33rd Annual Meetings of African Export-Import Bank, with African leaders, policymakers and investors expected to focus on boosting intra-African trade and industrialisation amid growing global economic uncertainties.
The meetings, scheduled to be held in Egypt from June 21 to 24, 2026, are expected to attract about 4,000 delegates, including heads of state, finance ministers, central bank governors, investors, bankers and private sector operators from across the continent and beyond.
Organisers said the event would be held under the theme: ‘Intra-African Trade and Industrialisation: Pathway to Economic Sovereignty’.
Speaking during a media briefing ahead of the meetings, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, George Elombi, said Africa’s future economic growth would depend largely on stronger trade ties among African countries, increased industrial processing and deeper economic integration.
According to him, Africa must reposition itself by strengthening internal trade relationships and reducing dependence on external markets in the face of rising geopolitical and global trade pressures.
‘The message is simple: Africa’s next phase of growth must be driven by intra-African trade, by industrial processing and by greater economic integration amongst our countries,’ Elombi said.
He noted that the continent had spent decades building institutions and frameworks to support regional integration, including the African Continental Free Trade Area and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System.
Elombi added that Afreximbank was promoting initiatives such as the Collaborative Transit Guarantee Scheme aimed at reducing customs bottlenecks and improving cross-border movement of goods.
He stressed that the major challenge facing the continent was transforming Africa’s vast production capacity and investment opportunities into sustainable economic growth and industrial development.
The Afreximbank president also said the bank remained financially resilient despite the challenging global operating environment.
According to him, the bank’s total assets had risen to $49.4 billion, while shareholders’ funds stood at approximately $8.6 billion.
He disclosed that the lender maintained a capital adequacy ratio of 23 percent and a non-performing loans ratio of 2.4 percent, reflecting strong investor confidence in the institution.
‘So we have a strong bank,’ Elombi said. ‘Investor confidence has remained very strong in Afreximbank and we believe that will be the case even in this difficult year of 2026,’ he said.
He explained that the annual meetings would also serve as a platform for investment discussions and business deals across strategic sectors, including logistics, mineral processing, trade finance and energy security.
Elombi said improving transport infrastructure and logistics systems would be critical to expanding intra-African trade and unlocking the benefits of regional integration.
He further highlighted opportunities in mineral beneficiation, noting that although Africa possesses abundant mineral resources, processing capacity remains limited outside countries such as South Africa and Morocco.
According to him, African governments must channel investments towards sectors capable of driving industrial growth and value addition across the continent.
‘The money is available,’ he said. ‘What we need is the expertise and the determination of governments to direct in what areas to put the investment,’ he added.
Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt, Hassan Abdalla, described Egypt’s partnership with Afreximbank as strategic and fundamental.
Egypt hosts Afreximbank’s headquarters and remains one of the institution’s founding shareholders.
Abdalla said the partnership reflected a shared commitment to promoting African trade, industrialisation and regional cooperation.
‘Over the years, Afreximbank has established itself as one of the continent’s most impactful financial institutions and a key driver for Africa’s transformation,’ he said.
He added that African economies were increasingly moving towards diversification and resilience as countries sought to maximise the value of the continent’s natural resources and economic potential.
According to Abdalla, the annual meetings would provide a platform for discussions on trade finance, regional integration and reforms to the global financial system to better address the interests of developing economies.
He also said preparations for the meetings were progressing steadily through collaboration between the Central Bank of Egypt, Afreximbank and other Egyptian authorities to ensure world-class logistics, security and protocol arrangements.
‘We do not view the Afreximbank annual meetings as merely a conference,’ Abdalla said. ‘We consider it a strategic milestone in our collective journey towards building a more integrated, industrialised, resilient and economically sovereign African continent.’