Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), received high praise and formal recognition on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at the opening of the fourth Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) in Algiers, Algeria, for his transformative leadership in advancing Africa’s economic growth and integration.
The accolade came during a keynote address by H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR, former President of Nigeria and Chairman of the IATF 2025 Advisory Council. “Who dares and delivers beyond measure… opens difficult doors and walks through them himself before handing the keys of Africa’s Economic Freedom to the next generation,” Obasanjo said, describing Prof. Oramah as “a go-getter, an achiever, and a true transformation leader.”
Obasanjo’s tribute highlighted Prof. Oramah’s visionary efforts to catalyze intra-African trade, foster industrialization, and mobilize investment across the continent. “He shows audacity of courage, vision, hope, persistence, and performance. He promises solutions for his country, the continent of Africa, and global Africa–and he actualizes those promises,” Obasanjo added, earning sustained applause from delegates and dignitaries present at the ceremony.
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IATF 2025, hosted in Algiers from September 4-10, is Africa’s premier trade and investment event, bringing together government leaders, business executives, captains of industry, and entrepreneurs from across the continent and the African diaspora. This year’s edition marked record participation, with forty-eight African countries represented in exhibitions, making it the largest IATF gathering since its inception in 2018.
Prof. Oramah’s leadership at Afreximbank has been instrumental in facilitating trade deals and investment projects totaling billions of dollars, strengthening Africa’s industrial, energy, and agribusiness sectors. Obasanjo specifically cited landmark initiatives, such as the 2018 Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project in Tanzania, which was executed entirely by African companies and now provides electricity to over 60 million Tanzanians.
“The IATF is more than an event–it is a symbol of Africa’s economic awakening, where trade, investment, and innovation converge,” Obasanjo said. “Prof. Oramah opens difficult doors and paves the way for the next generation of African economic leaders.”
Delegates at the ceremony lauded the recognition as timely, noting that Prof. Oramah’s vision has helped consolidate Africa’s presence on the global economic stage. “Afreximbank’s leadership under Prof. Oramah has demonstrated that African solutions for African challenges are both possible and sustainable,” said one senior trade delegate.
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As IATF 2025 continues, Prof. Oramah is expected to lead discussions on investment opportunities, trade financing, and continental integration strategies, reinforcing his role as a key architect of Africa’s economic transformation.
