El alamein: The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced that its 33rd Annual Meetings (AAM2026), scheduled to be held in El Alamein, Egypt, will focus on prioritising concrete projects aimed at deepening intra-African trade, driving industrialisation, and strengthening the continent’s economic sovereignty. Dr George Elombi, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, conveyed this during a media briefing in Cairo.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr Elombi emphasized that the core message of Afreximbank’s 33rd Annual Meetings is for Africa to bolster intra-African trade and enhance value addition on its resources. He stated, “The message is simple. It is that Africa’s next phase of growth must be driven by intra-African trade, industrial processing, and amongst our countries.” Afreximbank plans to shift its focus towards bankable projects that can transform Africa’s production structure and enhance its resilience amidst a volatile global environment.
Dr Elombi highlighted the bank’s efforts in supporting the creation of critical continental instruments such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to facilitate intra-continental trade. He also underscored the importance of infrastructure, logistics, and energy, noting that AAM2026 would prioritise projects related to transport and logistics corridors, energy systems, manufacturing, digital trade infrastructure, and financial services to reduce transaction frictions across borders.
The bank’s strategy to boost intra-African trade heavily relies on improving logistics, with significant investments made into this sector. Transport and logistics infrastructure, particularly corridors linking landlocked and coastal economies, will be a focal point in the ‘deal room,’ where African businesses will engage with African and international investors.
On energy security, Dr Elombi mentioned that Afreximbank is collaborating with domestic commercial banks, including the National Bank of Egypt, to support critical energy projects. Over the next 12 to 24 months, the bank will prioritise supporting manufacturing and processing capacity, with a focus on countries like Egypt with established industrial bases. Mineral processing has been identified as a major opportunity, with existing capacities in South Africa and Morocco, and Dr Elombi urged Egyptian firms to expand into this space.
Afreximbank plans to provide financial support to African, particularly Egyptian, companies with expertise in developing mineral processing projects across the continent. Additionally, digital payments and financial services are identified as crucial elements of the bank’s strategy to reduce transaction frictions and support the new architecture of African trade. Instruments like the African payment system aim to make cross-border trade easier, cheaper, and more predictable for African businesses.
Dr Elombi concluded by highlighting Afreximbank’s strong financial position, with total assets of 49.4 billion dollars and a capital adequacy ratio of 23 percent, which enables the institution to support these transformative projects.