Afreximbank will convene its 33rd Annual Meetings (AAM2026) in El Alamein, Egypt this June, bringing together more than 4,000 delegates to chart a course for African industrialisation and economic self-determination at a moment of deepening geopolitical uncertainty.
Dr George Elombi, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, outlined the summit’s central message at a media briefing in Cairo: Africa must move beyond dependence on commodity exports and external financial systems by building domestic industrial capacity and retaining greater value from its own resources.
The agenda is structured around three priorities: deepening intra-African trade as a foundation for economic independence, accelerating industrialisation through value addition, and mobilising African and global capital for sustainable development. Elombi said the continent has already built the institutional infrastructure for integration through the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and the Intra-African Trade Fair, and that the task now is converting those platforms into production capacity, resilient supply chains and investible projects.
Egypt was selected as host for its infrastructure readiness, regional connectivity and standing as a continental financial hub. A deal room, a signature feature of Afreximbank’s annual gatherings, will connect capital with bankable projects across transport, logistics, energy, manufacturing and digital trade infrastructure. Flagship investments already demonstrating the approach include support for the Dangote Refinery and logistics upgrades at the Beitbridge Border Post.
The urgency of this year’s theme is reinforced by recent global shocks that have exposed Africa’s vulnerability to supply chain disruptions and external liquidity pressures. Afreximbank has responded with a $10 billion Gulf Crisis Response Programme while simultaneously investing in trade corridors, industrial platforms and payment systems designed to build structural self-reliance.
Over the next 12 to 24 months, the bank’s financing will prioritise manufacturing, agro-processing, strategic minerals beneficiation, energy, healthcare and digital trade infrastructure, with the stated aim of building the operating systems that allow African businesses to scale across borders rather than simply financing individual transactions.
For Ghana, which hosts the AfCFTA Secretariat and is an active participant in PAPSS, the summit’s agenda intersects directly with the country’s own positioning as a regional trade and investment hub.
