The President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Prof. Benedict Oramah, met on Wednesday 25th September, 2019 with Florizelle Liser, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), to discuss ways of facilitating a working relationship between Afreximbank, U.S. EXIM and the United States Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) in order to grow Africa-U.S. trade and investment.

Ms. Liser said that a clearer understanding of U.S. EXIM’s strategy for Africa and building enhanced partnerships with the two bodies would assist in deepening trade and investment activity between Africa and the United States.

She said that CCA was focused on increasing activities trade activities between Africa and the U.S. before 2025 when the current programme of the United States’ African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) would end, adding that, with the thousands of products coming into the U.S. duty free under AGOA, there should be a focus on the entire value chain, from raw materials to processing to finished product sales.

Prof. Oramah briefed Ms. Liser on the biennial Intra-African Trade Fair which the Bank introduced in 2018 in an effort to boost intra-African trade. Afreximbank had also designated certain African business leaders as Intra-African Trade Champions to whom it provided opportunity and access to enable them bid and compete effectively for business across Africa.

Attending the meeting with Ms. Liser from CCA was Akaego Okoye, Director of Member Relations, while Prof. Oramah was joined on the Afreximbank side by Rene Awambeng, Director, Client Relations; Melanie Lawrence of the Guarantees and Specialised Finance Unit; and Adaeze Anyaoku of the Communications and Events Department.

Afreximbank President Prof. Benedict Oramah (2nd right) and Florizelle Liser, President, Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) (3rd Right), with (L-R) Melanie Lawrence, Guarantees and Specialised Finance Unit, Afreximbank; Rene Awambeng, Director, Client Relations, Afreximbank; Akaego Okoye, Director, Member Relations, CCA; and Adaeze Anyaoku, Communications and Events Department, Afreximbank, after the meeting in New York

Afreximbank President Prof. Benedict Oramah (2nd right) making a point during the meeting in New York. With him (R-L) are Florizelle Liser, President, Corporate Council on Africa (CCA); Akaego Okoye, Director, Member Relations, CCA; and Melanie Lawrence, Guarantees and Specialised Finance Unit, Afreximbank.