Obasanjo, global leaders to declare Afreximbank’s IATF2025 open today

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chair of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) Advisory Council, will today join Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and other global leaders to officially open the 2025 edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair in Algiers, Algeria.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the African Union Commission (AUC), and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat announced the official line-up of high-profile speakers for the seven-day event, which runs from today in the Algerian capital.

Over 35,000 delegates and 2,000 exhibitors from 140 countries are expected to converge in Algiers, creating a global marketplace projected to unlock more than $44 billion in trade and investment deals. The fair’s agenda features high-level negotiations, bold policy conversations, and cultural showcases designed to accelerate Africa’s integration and economic transformation under the AfCFTA.

The opening Presidential Summit Day will feature President Tebboune, Obasanjo, AfCFTA Champion and former Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou, as well as several other African and Caribbean heads of state. They will be joined by Afreximbank President Benedict Oramah, AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene, and African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.

This year’s programme includes:

Global Africa Diaspora Day, celebrating Africa’s ties with its diaspora.

Algeria Investment Forum, showcasing Algeria as a gateway for African trade.

Arise Industrialisation Day, focusing on value addition.

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Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX), spotlighting cultural industries.

Africa Automotive Show, uniting the continent’s automotive ecosystem.

Dangote Pavilion and Special Day, highlighting intra-African industrial champions.

AU Youth Start-Up platform, empowering young entrepreneurs.

Influential speakers will include Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation; Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group; Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre; Ralph Mupita, MTN Group CEO; Adewale Tinubu, CEO of Oando Plc; and Kola Olajide, CEO of SAVA.

They will be joined by Professor Hilary Beckles, Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies; South Africa’s Minister of Trade Parks Tau; Algeria’s Trade and Export Promotion Minister Kamal Rezig; Industry Minister Fatma Zohra Barca; Energy Minister Sifi Ghrieb; and other leading voices from government, business, innovation, energy, and agriculture.

“The fair is not just an event, it’s a marketplace and a movement,” said Kanayo Awani, Afreximbank’s Executive Vice-President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development. “We encourage African businesses and global investors to seize this opportunity to scale operations, form strategic partnerships, and take full advantage of the AfCFTA.”

With registration now closed, the organisers and the Algerian government say they are fully prepared to welcome delegates and ensure a seamless experience. Combining high-level diplomacy, cutting-edge business forums, cultural showcases, and investment opportunities, IATF2025 is set to make history in Algiers.

Hope Moses-Ashike

Hope Moses-Ashike is an Associate Editor, Banking and Finance, with more than a decade of experience reporting on Nigeria’s financial system and broader economy. She closely tracks market movements, monetary policy decisions, company disclosures, regulatory actions, economic indicators, and global developments, and interprets what they mean for businesses, investors, policymakers, and households. Her reporting helps readers understand complex issues such as inflation trends, foreign exchange market dynamics, interest rate decisions, bank performance, and investment risks. She also covers major international events and periodically travels to Washington, D.C., to report on the World Bank/IMF Spring and Annual Meetings. Her dedication to financial journalism has earned her multiple recognitions and invitations to high-level professional development programmes. She is an alumna of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) in the United States and holds an Advanced Financial Journalism Certificate from the Press Association Training in London, UK. Her other notable achievements include completing the Lagos Business School CMC Programme, the Bloomberg Media Africa Initiative Programme, and a Master Class in Journalism at Rhodes University in South Africa.