Afreximbank Seals Deal With IBDL To Facilitate Regional Trade

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja

Chief Executive Officer of IBDL, Dr. Khaled Khallaf and Managing Director of Human Resources, Afreximbank, Mr. Stephen Kauma during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, at the Afreximbank’s headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. 

The African Export-Import Bank, Afreximbank, has sealed a deal with IBDL Learning Group, IBDL, to facilitate regional trade and equip African professionals with the advanced skills needed to perform effectively and compete in the global trade landscape.

Sealed at the Afreximbank’s headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, brings the expertise of the two institutions to jointly design and implement programmes and initiatives aimed at building the human and business capabilities required to drive regional trade in Africa.

The agreement will also provide the needed platform to strengthen Global Africa’s human capital for trade and equip professionals, entrepreneurs, businesses and public institutions with the skills required to drive trade, industrialisation and economic transformation across the continent.

Managing Director of Human Resources, Afreximbank, Mr. Stephen Kauma said that the partnership represented a tangible investment in the continent’s future trade leaders and institutions, saying that it happened at a time when skills development is increasingly recognized as a critical enabler of Africa’s economic transformation.

CEO of IBDL Learning Group, Dr. Khaled Khallaf hinted that the collaboration reflected their shared commitment to equipping professionals, entrepreneurs, and institutions across the continent with globally recognized skills and practical capabilities that drive trade, innovation, and sustainable economic growth.

He said: “We are honored to partner with Afreximbank in advancing Africa’s human capital agenda and supporting the vision of a more integrated and competitive African economy.

“Through this partnership, we look forward to developing impactful learning pathways that empower Africa’s current and future trade leaders to seize the opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area.”

Under the agreement, Afreximbank Academy, AFRACAD, will serve as the implementation for a wide range of capacity building programmes designed to strengthen Africa’s trade and industrial capabilities.

The partnership will include the development of joint professional certification programmes in intra-African trade, industrialization and trade intelligence as well as joint bootcamps for trade supply chain and e-commerce skills in cooperation with major operating companies.

This will also include flagship masterclass for African diplomats such as the African Diplomacy Flagship Certification programme which was jointly initiated and implemented in 2024.

In the near future, the partnership will also deliver joint African economic and trade skills masterclass for non- African Diplomats, including the joint advocacy programmes, conferences, workshops and webinars such as Afreximbank’s AFRACAD Trade Voices Webinar Series, designed to promote knowledge sharing, policy dialogue and greater awareness of opportunities arising from the AfCFTA and the Global Africa agenda.

Beyond programme delivery, the two institutions will also collaborate to expand access to high-quality digital learning, by hosting selected IBDL courses on AFRACAD Learning Management Systems, by undertaking joint marketing initiatives and exploring additional opportunities to broaden the reach and impact of their learning offerings.

As part of this process, IBDL will facilitate the full accreditation of AFRACAD by Missouri State University.

The partnership reflects Afreximbank’s continued commitment to developing the human capital required to transform Africa into a globally competitive trading and industrial powerhouse. By combining the strengths of AFRACAD and IBDL, the two institutions aim to nurture a new generation of skilled African professionals capable of driving sustainable economic growth, regional integration and prosperity across Africa and Global Africa.

Established in 2014, IBDL Learning Group is a global organisation dedicated to advancing international business education. It inspires professionals to pursue a transformative journey of continuous learning and empowers individuals to achieve exceptional results through cutting-edge learning solutions and a strong commitment to quality.