The African Export Import Bank held a legacy conference in Cairo on October 25, 2025, marking the end of Prof. Benedict Oramah’s ten year tenure as president, during which the institution’s assets grew eightfold and its role in continental integration expanded dramatically.
More than 2,000 guests including heads of state, former presidents, senior government officials and business leaders gathered at Afreximbank headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, to honor Prof. Benedict Oramah as his decade long presidency concluded.
Prof. Oramah, whose tenure began in September 2015, told attendees he made the promotion of intra African trade and investment central to his strategy. He explained the philosophy was that Africa’s development must be powered from within, as external interests had been mostly predatory unless engaged from a position of strength.
The bank’s balance sheet and guarantees grew almost eightfold, from $6 billion when Oramah took office to nearly $44 billion by September 2025. During the same period, Afreximbank paid out $1.4 billion in dividends to shareholders while maintaining institutional strength.
Under Oramah’s leadership, Afreximbank introduced numerous instruments to support the African Continental Free Trade Area. The Pan African Payment and Settlement System, backed by a $3 billion clearing facility, became operational in 20 countries and enabled African nations to trade across borders in their own local currencies.
The bank also launched the biennial Intra African Trade Fair, supported the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund with a $1 billion commitment, and created the African Trade and Distribution Company to address cross border logistics challenges.
During the COVID 19 pandemic, Afreximbank disbursed over $10 billion to help Africa respond to the crisis and provided $2 billion for vaccine procurement across Africa and the Caribbean.
Incoming president Dr. George Elombi, who takes over from Oramah, described his predecessor as having turned decades old political wishes into tangible gains for Africans. Elombi joined Afreximbank in 1996 as a legal officer and most recently served as vice president for governance, legal and corporate services.
Among the dignitaries paying tribute were former Afreximbank presidents Christopher Edordu and Jean Louis Ekra, Nigerian business magnate Aliko Dangote, and former heads of state from Senegal and Niger.
