By: Thaimu Bai Sesay
Organized by Oakwood Green Africa Ltd. and the Ministry of Trade and Industry Sierra Leone, the Afrexim Bank has launched the Second Trade Road Show with the theme “Sustaining the Intra-African Trade Drive – Navigating the Last Mile”.
As a two-day event, the first day of the launching of this esteemed initiative took place on Tuesday 9th May 2023, at the Freetown City Council Auditorium with high-profile participants including International Partners and Government Ministers.
Addressing participants as Chairman and Keynotes speaker of the event, Dr Edward Hinga Sandy, Minister of Trade and Industry, intimated that the second Trade Road-Show organized by the Oakwood Green Africa in partnership with the Ministry of Trade and Industry Sierra Leone was built on trust and how they could improve businesses in Sierra Leone.
The Trade Minister expressed that AfreximBank were associated with Africa Finance Corporation and that they had huge opportunities that one could not find in Sierra Leone. He said they had supported quite a number of businesses and furthered that “They are now in Sierra Leone to support and finance our businesses.”
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Oakwood Green Africa Limited Gabriel Edgal in his statement at the launching expressed that they were highly interested in building a one and United Africa. He acknowledged the COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine war which he said had been adversely affecting trade and living conditions in Africa.
Gabriel Edgal commended the Minister of Trade and Sierra Leone at large and said that Sierra Leone would be strategically positioned to undertake a major role in the initiative. He emphasized that Sierra Leone could actually feed not only itself but other countries as well and went on to say “That is why we have come to actualize that dream”.
Oakwood Green Chairman and CEO rhetorically asked why must Africans only be consumers rather than producers. He intimated that the initiative was also influenced based on the need to identify where there were surpluses and gaps within the African countries. Gabriel assured that they would strongly support the initiative and they would keep coming to Sierra Leone. He implored Sierra Leoneans to start thinking about business ideas and search for what other African countries were strongly in need of. He assured of not only full funding but also advisory on business projects.
Oakwood Green Chairman and CEO further assured that they would serve as a conduit for capital in Africa and Sierra Leone in particular. He reaffirmed that they would be there for whatever amount people would be needing to establish factories and businesses. He concluded by saying “The Africa we seek can be built by us. We have the potential to build the Africa our grandchildren can live. And no more runaway from Africa”.
The Regional Chief Operations Officer, Anglophone West Africa AfreximBank, Eric Monchu Intong expressed that he was highly motivated after having an engagement with the Sierra Leone Minister of Trade and Minister of Finance. He explained that AfreximBank Trade Road Show was a trade amongst African countries, between African peoples and between Africans and Europeans. He assured me that the partnership with AfreximBank would be one that would stand the test of time be it in rain or sun.
The AfreximBank Regional Director assured that they were looking forward to investing a total of at least One Billion Dollars in Sierra Leone before next year. He said they would issue short, medium and long-term loans and other forms of funding. The Director explained their mode of operations categorized in pillars and said the mode of operations should equally fall with their pillars.
The Regional Director strongly assured of changing the narrative in Africa and approximated that, that would happen in not more than two years in the trade sector. “It is time we start using our own money and stop receiving grants,” he urged. He continued that they would give trade project finance, guarantees, advisory and capital markets.
All inquiries and applications may be addressed to the Managing Director, Intre-African Trade Initiative, AfreximBank through the following contacts kawani@afreximBank.com and iati@afreximbank.com. Launching the second Trade Road Show…
