• Successor, Olombi pledges to build on legacy of innovation, unity

Sunday Ehigiator

In what was both a grand celebration and an emotional farewell, tributes from African leaders, business magnates, and international dignitaries poured in yesterday for Prof. Benedict Okey Oramah, as he officially bowed out as President and Chairman of the Board of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) after a decade of groundbreaking leadership that redefined the trajectory of African trade, finance, and economic integration.

The valedictory ceremony, held at Afreximbank’s headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, was an affair befitting the stature of a man many described as, “Africa’s trade architect,” a scholar, visionary, and patriot whose ideas turned into enduring institutions and whose leadership transformed Afreximbank into a continental powerhouse.

The event, attended by some former and current African heads of state, business leaders, bankers, and global diplomats, saw Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote, former Afreximbank presidents Jean-Louis Ekra and Christopher Edordu, incoming President Dr. George Olombi, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene, among others, pay glowing tributes to Oramah’s indelible legacy.

Since assuming office in 2015, Oramah presided over what many describe as the most transformative era in Afreximbank’s 30-year history.

Under his stewardship, the bank’s assets grew beyond $30 billion, Afreximbank launched PAPSS to enable local-currency trade, initiated the African Medical Centre of Excellence in Abuja, created CANEX and the Intra-African Trade Fair, and established the AFCFTA Adjustment Fund with $1 billion in seed capital.

Observers said these initiatives redefined Africa’s trade sovereignty and strengthened South–South cooperation, especially between Africa and the Caribbean.

Taking the podium last, Oramah delivered a reflective and gracious farewell, tracing his 31-year journey with the bank — from joining as a pioneer staffer, to leading it through Africa’s most dynamic trade decade.

“When I joined Afreximbank, I knew I was not entering just another financial institution,” he said. “I was joining a movement aimed at turning Africa’s aspirations into reality.”

He recounted milestones achieved under his tenure, the implementation of AfCFTA, the launch of PAPSS, the Intra-African Trade Fair, and the bank’s balance sheet growth from $6 billion to over $40 billion.

“We fought on all fronts,” he said, “because we knew Africa’s economic emancipation could not come from outside. Our development dynamo had to be powered from within.”

Oramah paid tribute to his mentors; the late Dr. Babacar Ndiaye, pioneer president Christopher Edordu, and successor Jean-Louis Ekra, for their trust and guidance, and to the Afreximbank board and staff for their unwavering support.

He closed his speech with quiet humility: “Thank you for allowing me to serve. Thank you for your partnership, friendship, and faith. The relationships we have built and the bonds we have forged will remain permanent threads in the tapestry of our lives.”

In one of the night’s most heartfelt moments, Oramah’s wife, Mrs. Chinelo Oramah, moved the audience to tears as she spoke about the personal side of the Afreximbank journey.

“One time he fell sick, and the bank rallied around us,” she recalled. “The concern of the board, management, and staff—and the care that was provided—saved his life. That kind of support transcends employment. It is family. It is love. It is humanity at its finest,” she added.

She thanked Afreximbank for investing not just in her husband but in their entire family’s well-being and future.

“If not for this institution, my children would not have had access to the best education and opportunities,” she said.

Expressing appreciation to the Afreximbank Spouses Network, she said, “You created a community where we could share joys, navigate challenges, and support one another. The strength you gave me enabled me to be the pillar my husband needed.”

Turning emotional, she offered gratitude to Egypt, which the family has called home for 32 years. “Cairo is not just where we lived; it is where we loved, laughed, and belonged,” she said. “May God continue to bless Afreximbank, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and our beloved continent.”

Incoming president, Olombi was visibly moved as he received the mantle of leadership.

“We are witnessing the end of an era, but also the beginning of a new chapter,” he said. “Professor Oramah has shown us what is possible when vision meets courage. We will build on this legacy,” he said.

Aliko Dangote captured the mood of the evening with humour and affection, praising Oramah’s relentless drive and service to the continent.

“Prof, as you depart, you leave behind a kindred spirit and zeal which can only get better,” Dangote said. “We return you now to your family, but only for a brief sabbatical because we can’t have our star player on the bench when the game is still in the first half.”

Dangote also acknowledged Oramah’s wife, and their daughters for what he described as “a decade of generosity in sharing him with Africa.”

Turning to Oramah’s successor, Olombi, Dangote pledged the Dangote Group’s continued partnership with Afreximbank, urging Olombi to “take the institution to even greater heights.”

Jean-Louis Ekra, who handed the baton to Oramah in 2015, spoke with visible emotion as he reflected on their 30-year professional bond that began when Oramah joined the bank as a young officer in 1996.

“For nearly two decades as my colleague and close collaborator, he demonstrated deep dedication and steadfast commitment to the bank’s growth,” Ekra recalled. “Ten years later, I am profoundly moved to witness that Prof. Oramah not only fulfilled that mandate but far surpassed every expectation.”

He described Oramah as, “a man of loyalty and faithfulness,” crediting his transformational leadership for making Afreximbank “an indispensable pillar of African development finance.”

Ekra also saluted Oramah’s wife, Chinelo, for her steadfast support through years of demanding public service. “Behind this great man is a woman of rare strength,” he said.

The bank’s pioneer president, Christopher Edordu, recounted his first encounter with the young Oramah in the early 1990s, when the agricultural economist presented his PhD thesis on irrigation, as his entry credential to banking.

“He had never worked in a bank, yet his thesis revealed an audacious mind,” Edordu said. “He was the kind of man who, if you showed a helicopter, would return in a week with a sketch of a spacecraft.”

Edordu noted that Oramah’s early writings on trade finance and currency policy helped shape the intellectual foundation for the creation of Afreximbank and later the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).

AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene praised Oramah’s visionary partnership that helped the new trade secretariat find its footing.

“Because of him, we can now trade in local currencies. The PAPSS is a reality,” Mene said. “He didn’t just imagine Africa’s integration, he built it.”

He lauded Oramah’s courage in asserting African financial independence despite external skepticism: “When African institutions assert their independence, there are always consequences. But leaders like Oramah have shown we can deliver on our promises as Africans.”

Representing Nigeria’s political and traditional community, Engr. Simon Ukpaka described Oramah as “a man whose humility and brilliance have not erased his roots.”

“Each time he returns home, he supports our community projects and mentors our youth,” Ukpaka said. “He has made us proud.”

The Prime Minister of Grenada, through his envoy Ambassador Richard Allen Nixon, recalled the African-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum 2025, where Oramah was honoured with a symbolic flamboyant tree planting in Grenada’s national park.

“That tree, with its fiery red blossoms and resilience, now stands as a living tribute to the unity you fostered between Africa and the Caribbean,” the message read.

As the lights dimmed on the ceremony, applause lingered for minutes, echoing through the marble halls of Afreximbank’s Cairo headquarters.

For many present, the night was not just a farewell to a leader but a celebration of a legacy; one defined by vision, discipline, and faith in Africa’s potential.

Oramah’s life’s work, as one speaker put it, “became Africa’s shared story; a testament that when Africans believe in themselves, the world takes notice.”

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