Afreximbank selects Nigeria for rollout of healthcare programme

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has selected Nigeria as one of three countries for the initial rollout of its new programme aimed at improving healthcare delivery in Africa, the Bank’s president Benedict Oramah has announced.

Speaking at the Bank’s Cairo headquarters during a visit by a delegation from the Nigerian Embassy in Cairo, Oramah said that the programme, which is being implemented in collaboration with United Kingdom-based Kings College Hospital Management Limited, would also be rolled out in Ghana and Kenya.

He commended the Nigerian Ministry of Health for its support of the initiative which seeks to develop world class medical and health facilities across Africa, with the establishment of medical centres of excellence and commencing with haematological medicine.

A statement by Yannick Fokou of Afreximbank’s external communications, made available to our correspondent, said Nigeria has been the largest recipient of Afreximbank loans, having received almost 33 per cent of the portfolio, or $21 billion, from the Bank since it started operations.

The facilities went mainly to financial institutions for activities in the agricultural, electricity supply, value added activities and other sectors.

Oramah added that Afreximbank’s recently launched Counter-Cyclical Trade Liquidity Programme, which aims to help African countries to address their foreign currency liquidity issues, had helped Nigeria to withstand the abrupt market disruption.

Also speaking, Elombi, Afreximbank executive vice President, Corporate Governance and Legal Services, urged the delegation to intervene with the Nigerian authorities to get them to ratify the Bank’s Branch office agreement.

Responding, Mohammed Adbulkadir Maccido, Chargé d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, commended the extensive achievements that had been recorded by Afreximbank since its creation.

He urged the Bank to promote its services and programmes to African diplomatic representations in Cairo since those services could meet the peculiar needs of their respective countries.

 

BEN EGUZOZIE With wire copy