Afreximbank Targets Over $44bn in Deals at IATF2025, Urges Ghana to Lead Continental Trade Push
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is projecting more than $44bn in trade and investment commitments at the upcoming Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF), positioning the event as a critical platform for translating the continent’s trade ambitions into commercial outcomes.
The 2025 edition of the biennial fair — scheduled for September 4–10 in Algiers, Algeria — is expected to be the most expansive to date, drawing over 2,000 exhibitors from more than 75 countries and attracting in excess of 35,000 participants, according to figures released by the Bank.
Speaking at the Ghana leg of the IATF2025 Roadshow in Accra, Dr Yemi Kale, Afreximbank’s Group Chief Economist and Managing Director of Research, said the Fair would serve as a vehicle for implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), now seen by policymakers and development financiers as central to boosting intra-African trade and accelerating industrialisation.
“We are targeting $44 billion in new trade and investment deals,” Dr Kale said. “The Fair is designed not just to promote trade, but to drive strategic partnerships and value-added investment across the continent.”
He called on Ghana to assume a leading role in the Fair, not merely as a participant but as a key actor in the wider continental trade narrative.
“We are not just asking Ghana to attend — we are here to invite Ghana to lead,” Dr Kale said. “We want to see Ghanaian businesses exhibiting, provinces showcasing their strengths, creatives performing, and entrepreneurs closing deals.”
Afreximbank, which has long-standing ties with Ghana, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the West African nation’s export diversification and industrialisation agenda.
“Ghana is a founding member of the Bank and remains an integral part of our developmental strategy,” said Dr Kale. “We have supported Ghanaian enterprises across sectors and are committed to expanding that support as the country positions itself for greater competitiveness under the AfCFTA.”
Afreximbank is organising IATF2025 in collaboration with the AfCFTA Secretariat, the African Union Commission, and the Government of Algeria. The Fair is seen by analysts as a key mechanism for stimulating intra-African trade, which remains structurally low, hovering around 15% of the continent’s total trade volume — a figure that AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene recently suggested may be understated due to informal cross-border trade and gaps in services data.
The Bank’s aggressive targets for the Fair reflect broader efforts to shift Africa’s trade profile away from its historical reliance on commodity exports toward a model anchored in regional value chains, industrial production, and knowledge-based services.
