The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) will host its 33rd Annual Meetings (AAM2026) in El Alamein, Egypt, from 21 to 24 June 2026, the bank announced. The event will convene heads of state, government officials, policymakers, private sector leaders, and international partners under the theme “Intra-African Trade and Industrialisation: Pathway to Economic Sovereignty.”
This focus underscores a strategic shift for African economies amid global protectionism and geopolitical realignment. The meetings aim to identify priority projects and actionable programmes to transform the continent’s trade structure, moving beyond commodity exports toward strengthened regional value chains and industrial development.
Dr. George Elombi, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Afreximbank, highlighted the bank’s decade-long groundwork for boosting intra-African trade. “As we enter this new phase, we must prioritise the processing of goods to be traded under the Free Trade Agreement,” he stated. “With the current global turmoil… Africans must look inwards… we must wean ourselves off trade in commodities, expand investment in processing, build regional value chains, and consume our products.”
Egypt’s role as host was affirmed by H.E. Mr. Hassan Abdalla, Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). “Egypt is honoured to welcome distinguished delegates,” he said, noting the country’s strategic location and economic scale position it as a key driver of regional integration. “Hosting the AAM2026… reflects Egypt’s continued commitment to supporting African institutions strengthening intra-African trade and advancing the continent’s industrialization.”
AAM2026 is designed as a platform for high-level networking, deal-making, and insight-sharing on trade finance, logistics, and investment. By facilitating structured partnerships and bankable projects, the meetings seek to advance a collective vision for an integrated, industrialised, and economically sovereign Africa.
Further details are available at https://2026.afreximbankevents.com/.
