CAIRO, Egypt (BG) – The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in collaboration with Egypt and the Group of African Ambassadors in Cairo, hosted the inaugural FOCUS Africa Trade and Investment Forum to enhance investment opportunities.

Held on April 15–16, 2025, the forum addressed Africa’s major investment challenges while unlocking high-impact opportunities across agribusiness, energy, infrastructure, technology, logistics, and the blue economy.

It also aimed to stimulate intra-African trade and attract both African and foreign direct investment (ADI and FDI).

Africa currently receives just 3% to 4% of global FDI and faces an infrastructure financing gap of $130 billion to $170 billion annually.

FOCUS Africa aimed to address this by showcasing bankable projects and facilitating business-to-business and business-to-government partnerships.

“Today, Africa stands at a pivotal moment,” said Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt’s minister of planning. “With a market of 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP of more than $3.1 trillion, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents unprecedented opportunities.”

Afreximbank President Prof. Benedict Oramah emphasized the need for Africa to create its internal market integration, while Kanayo Awani, executive vice president of Intra-African Trade and Export Development, highlighted infrastructure as a key driver of transformation.

“Africa’s infrastructure gap is not just a statistic — it’s a brake on our growth and a bottleneck to our global competitiveness,” she said.

The event emphasized Afreximbank’s commitment to shifting from externally driven growth to African-led development, aligned with the AfCFTA’s objectives.

FOCUS Africa 2025 seeks to foster economic integration and enhance Africa’s global competitiveness through targeted financial solutions and strategic partnerships.