The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) will host the 25th edition of its Trade Finance Seminar (ATFS2025) in Abidjan from November 4 to 6, 2025, bringing together African and international experts to explore innovative solutions to the continent’s trade finance challenges.
Faced with an estimated $100 billion annual trade finance shortfall, Afreximbank aims to strengthen access to funding for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which constitute more than 90% of Africa’s economic fabric but remain largely underfinanced by traditional banks.
A dedicated factoring workshop on November 7 will further examine financing mechanisms tailored to the African context.
“Structured trade finance is Africa’s way of transforming unbankable deals into viable trade.
This seminar equips financial leaders with the tools to unlock broad-based growth, especially in a challenging environment,” said Gwen Mwaba, Managing Director of Trade Finance and Correspondent Banking at Afreximbank.
Ms. Mwaba highlighted the importance of hosting the seminar on the continent, noting that it allows hundreds of African professionals to gain critical expertise at a fraction of the cost of similar programs in London, Singapore, or New York.
She also emphasized the need for Africa to strengthen its own capacity for deploying structured trade finance as global regulations tighten and international lenders scale back.
The ATFS2025 program will feature keynote addresses, interactive workshops, and high-level panel discussions covering key themes such as unlocking Africa’s trade finance potential, improving efficiency while reducing costs, and expanding access to credit.
Presentations will include Marc Auboin from the World Trade Organization on trade finance, Sylvia Macri of S&P Global Commodity Insights on Africa’s emerging role in global energy finance, and a workshop on reserve-based lending led by Dr. Lekan Aluko and Peter Olowononi.
Other sessions will address syndications, export credit agencies, the African lending landscape, and the role of development banks in bridging the trade finance gap.
As one of Afreximbank’s flagship events, ATFS2025 aims to strengthen the continent’s financial infrastructure and enhance African competitiveness in global markets, providing SMEs and financial institutions with practical tools to expand trade and investment opportunities.
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