By Ayomide Otitoju
President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema has conferred the National Order of Merit on Prof. Benedict Oramah, outgoing President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), and Dr. George Elombi, the Bank’s incoming President and current Executive Vice President.
The awards, presented on 15 September during the groundbreaking ceremony for a €200 million, 300-MW thermal power plant financed by Afreximbank, recognized their contributions to Gabon’s economic growth.
According to the Gabonese government, Afreximbank has played a pivotal role in advancing industrialization through investments in Special Economic Zones developed in partnership with Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP). These initiatives have supported job creation, poverty reduction, and wealth generation over the past decade. The Bank has also committed US$5 billion to support domestic manganese processing, modernize rail infrastructure, expand energy production, and build three power plants in Libreville, Port-Gentil, and Lambaréné.
Accepting the honour, Prof. Oramah reaffirmed Afreximbank’s commitment to Gabon’s transformation agenda. “Dr. George Elombi and I are truly honoured by this recognition. We share these awards with the Afreximbank team, whose dedication continues to drive Africa’s socio-economic progress,” he said.
He praised President Nguema’s development vision, noting that Africa’s transformation must be achieved through homegrown efforts. Oramah announced plans to launch a US$5 billion Country Programme to finance strategic projects supporting Gabon’s industrial and economic growth.
The ceremony followed a facility agreement signed in June during the Afreximbank Annual Meetings in Abuja, which secured a €200 million amortising term loan to strengthen Gabon’s energy sector. Afreximbank also signed a memorandum of understanding for a US$3.8 billion programme aimed at boosting trade, attracting investment, and positioning Gabon as a regional hub for industrialisation and intra-African trade.
