The Afreximbank Academy has won a Silver Award at the 2025 European Foundation for Management Development Excellence in Practice Awards, earning international recognition for its role in strengthening professional capacity across Africa’s trade finance sector.
The award, presented in Stockholm, Sweden, early this month, recognizes the Academy’s Certificate of Trade Finance in Africa programme, a pioneering initiative that has advanced trade finance capabilities and fostered professional standards throughout the continent. The programme is implemented by Afreximbank in partnership with Factors Chain International (FCI) and the Onsi Sawiris School of Business at the American University in Cairo (AUC).
Originally launched in 2016 as the Certificate of Finance in International Trade, the programme was developed under Afreximbank’s Factoring Working Group, chaired by Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President of Intra-African Trade and Export Development. Working with FCI, the University of Malta, and Quarterback, the initiative was designed to build Africa’s trade finance and factoring capacity, aligning with Afreximbank’s broader mission to strengthen the continent’s trade ecosystem.
Stephen Tio Kauma, Group Managing Director of Human Resources at Afreximbank, said the award highlights the bank’s continuing impact on professional development across the continent. Participating in the EFMD Conference, he explained, was far more than an opportunity to present a case study or receive recognition.
“It was a platform to amplify the vision, mission, and strategic mandates of Afreximbank and the Academy before an international audience,” Mr. Kauma said.
Representing the bank at the conference, Dr. Anan Shendy of the Afreximbank Academy presented the institution’s award winning case study, “Transcending Borders: A Pan-African Partnership to Support Trade Professionals,” before a distinguished audience and judging panel at the Stockholm School of Economics. The presentation was delivered jointly with representatives from AUC and FCI.
In 2021, the Academy partnered with the Onsi Sawiris School of Business at AUC to enhance the programme’s academic rigor and regional relevance. Since then, the Academy has assumed responsibility for managing and expanding the Certificate of Trade Finance in Africa, effectively institutionalizing Afreximbank’s long term capacity building initiatives.
To date, the programme has trained more than 150 professionals from across Africa, equipping them with the technical, regulatory, and practical expertise needed to drive growth in trade finance and unlock new opportunities in intra-African and global commerce.
With a membership base of over 950 institutions in more than 90 countries, EFMD is the world’s largest international network for management development. Over the past 18 years, its Excellence in Practice Awards have become a global benchmark for outstanding collaborations between organizations and academic institutions, positioning recipients among the foremost innovators in professional learning and executive education worldwide.
The awards ceremony took place during the EFMD Executive Development Conference on October 1-2, 2025, hosted by the Stockholm School of Economics, where winners from multiple categories were recognized for their impactful partnerships in leadership, professional development, talent management, and organizational development.
The recognition comes as African financial institutions continue to seek enhanced capacity in trade finance expertise, particularly as intra-African trade volumes grow under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework. Industry observers note that programmes like the Certificate of Trade Finance in Africa play a crucial role in addressing the continent’s skills gap in specialized financial services.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
