IATF2025: Afreximbank, International Trade Centre Renew Partnership to Boost Intra-African Trade

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and International Trade Centre (ITC) have renewed and expanded their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), reinforcing their joint commitment to intra-African trade, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) competitiveness, and South-South cooperation.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the ongoing 4th Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) by Prof. Benedict Oramah, outgoing President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, and Ms. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of ITC.

The ITC-Afreximbank MoU was the first such agreement to be formalized during the still ongoing IATF2025, which seeks to:

• Enhance SME competitiveness across Africa;
• Build capacity to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA);
• Promote sustainable livelihoods through the creative industries;
• Strengthen Africa’s trade partnerships with the Caribbean and Arab regions;
• Expand access to finance for businesses, especially women- and youth-led SMEs.

While speaking during the MoU signing, Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, said the renewed MoU would help to expand Africa’s creative industries, deepen South-South cooperation with the Caribbean, and strengthen the AfCFTA’s private sector impact.

“The signing of the renewed MoU on the sidelines of IATF2025 is a strong demonstration of Afreximbank’s leadership in driving Intra-African trade and SME empowerment. By choosing IATF2025 as the platform for this announcement, Afreximbank and ITC are underlining the important role of the IATF as a platform for unlocking the potential of SMEs to drive Africa’s trade-led development,” said Prof Oramah.

The Afreximbank chief noted that the partnership positioned Afreximbank and ITC as joint leaders in giving Africa’s SMEs and creative entrepreneurs greater global visibility and market access, while scaling up collaboration to empower SMEs, strengthen the creative industries, deepen Africa–Caribbean linkages, and advance the implementation of the AfCFTA.

ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton highlighted the partnership’s role in creating inclusive trade opportunities:

“Our long-term partnership with Afreximbank is one built on strengthening the way Africa engages with the rest of the world in terms of trade. With our expanded partnership, we will continue to work together to make trade easier, more accessible and less costly across the continent, for all African businesses, including the smallest and those led by women and youth,” said Coke-Hamilton.

IATF2025, taking place September 4 to 10 in Algiers, Algeria, has attracted thousands of participants. More than 2,000 exhibitors are showcasing products and services, with representation from over 44 African countries and several international partners. Trade and investment deals worth over $44 billion are projected to be concluded during the week-long event. The next edition of IATF will be held in Lagos, Nigeria come in 2027.