By Ayomide Otitoju
At the opening of the 25th Afreximbank Trade Finance Seminar (ATFS) in Abidjan, Ms. Gwen Mwaba, Managing Director for Trade Finance and Correspondent Banking at Afreximbank, called for stronger trade finance capabilities and greater collaboration among African financial institutions to advance inclusive and sustainable growth across the continent.
Ms. Mwaba underscored Africa’s vast endowment in natural and human resources, noting that the continent’s minerals, hydrocarbons, agricultural commodities, and value-added sectors in energy, metals, and logistics offer immense development potential if financed effectively and responsibly.
“To translate this potential into tangible outcomes, we need banks and financial institutions that are not only risk-aware but structurally proficient,” she stated.
She highlighted the crucial role of skilled financial professionals in unlocking Africa’s trade potential, stressing that capacity building is vital to transforming Africa’s abundant resources into sustainable economic growth.
“Well-trained bankers with sophisticated deal-structuring capabilities can tailor financing to capital-intensive value chains and align project finance with local development needs and environmental safeguards,” she added.
Ms. Mwaba described trade finance as the “lifeblood of commerce, investment, and job creation,” calling on financial institutions to ensure equitable access to liquidity and financing for businesses that drive development across Africa.
The opening ceremony was attended by senior representatives of the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, including Mr. Patrick Olivier Daipo, Deputy Director of Cabinet at the Ministry of Trade; Mr. Chalouho Coulibaly, National Director of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), representing Dr. Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, Governor of BCEAO; and Mr. Jérôme Ahua, Deputy Managing Director of BNI Bank, representing the Bankers Association.
Now in its 25th year, the Afreximbank Trade Finance Seminar remains the Bank’s flagship capacity-building programme, which has trained thousands of African bankers, financiers, and policymakers since its inception. This year’s edition marks a significant milestone — a quarter-century of strengthening Africa’s trade finance expertise and institutional capacity.
Highlighting Afreximbank’s contributions over the past three decades, Ms. Mwaba noted that the Bank has developed a broad portfolio of initiatives supporting regional integration, value addition, and job creation. These include:
Large-scale financing for export-oriented sectors and trade-enabling infrastructure.
Innovative risk-sharing and credit enhancement tools to mobilize private investment.
Specialized facilities for commodity and project finance that align with environmental and social safeguards.
Targeted training programmes to enhance the capabilities of African bankers and policymakers.
The 2025 seminar, themed “Strengthening Trade Finance Capabilities for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in Africa,” will explore key trends shaping the continent’s trade finance landscape. Discussions will focus on digitalisation, data, technology, transparency, risk management, and the need for collaboration among banks, multilateral development institutions, fintechs, exporters, and policymakers to develop scalable, sustainable solutions.
Concluding her address, Ms. Mwaba expressed optimism that the engagements in Abidjan would produce actionable strategies to strengthen Africa’s trade finance ecosystem.
The Afreximbank Trade Finance Seminar runs from 4–6 November 2025, followed by a Factoring Workshop on 7 November 2025.
