The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has officially sworn in Dr. George Elombi as its fourth President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, marking the beginning of a new leadership era for the continental financial powerhouse.
The investiture ceremony, held on Saturday in Cairo, Egypt, brought together top government officials, African business leaders, and international partners to celebrate Elombi’s ascension.
His appointment was first ratified by Afreximbank shareholders on June 28, 2025.
Elombi, a Cameroonian, joined Afreximbank in 1996 as a Legal Officer and steadily rose through the ranks over nearly three decades of service. He succeeds Prof. Benedict Oramah, who led the bank for ten transformative years.
During the event, Wale Edun, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, hailed Elombi’s appointment as a pivotal moment for Africa’s financial and economic future.
“Your appointment represents continuity and renewal — a seamless transition from the solid foundation laid by your predecessor sitting right next to you here, and a bold leap towards the future we envisage,” Edun said.
He described Elombi’s presidency as arriving at a time when “Africa’s destiny is being rewritten through resilience and innovation.”
“You are called not just to lead a bank, but to steward a vision — a vision of a self-reliant, integrated, and prosperous Africa,” Edun added.
Edun, who currently chairs the Afreximbank General Meeting for the 2025/2026 period, also commended Oramah’s decade-long leadership, describing it as “visionary and transformative.”
“Under your leadership, Afreximbank has not only financed trade across the continent but has also reshaped Africa’s trade architecture and repositioned the continent in the global economic arena. Your legacy, Professor, is indelibly written in our continent’s development history,” Edun noted.
