GEORGE ELOMBI TO LEAD $250 BILLION VISION AS NEW PRESIDENT OF AFREXIMBANK

Dr. George Elombi appointed to lead Afreximbank journey to become a $250 billion powerhouse.

Leadership Africa Afreximbank Appointment Bank.
Dr. George Elombi
Dr. George Elombi


In a landmark transition for Africa’s premier trade finance institution, Dr. George Elombi has been appointed President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), marking a new era in the Bank’s ambitious journey to become a $250 billion powerhouse.

The appointment, formally ratified by shareholders at the 32nd Afreximbank Annual Meetings held in Abuja from June 25 to 28, positions Elombi as an institutional veteran and Cameroonian national as the Bank’s fourth President since its founding in 1993.

Elombi succeeds Prof. Benedict Oramah, who has steered the Bank since 2015 and will officially step down in September 2025 after a decade of transformational leadership.

A long-serving executive within Afreximbank, Elombi joined the institution in 1996 as a Legal Officer and rose steadily through the ranks, most recently serving as Executive Vice-President in charge of Governance, Legal and Corporate Services. 

His career spans nearly three decades of shaping the Bank’s legal and governance frameworks, pioneering new subsidiaries, and spearheading emergency responses such as the Bank’s $2 billion COVID-19 vaccine acquisition programme for Africa and the Caribbean.

In his acceptance speech, Elombi emphasized continuity, vision, and transformation: “As we look to the future, I see Afreximbank as a force for industrialising Africa and for regaining the dignity of Africans wherever they are. I will work to preserve and grow this important asset.”

He also committed to fulfilling the vision laid out by his predecessor to grow Afreximbank’s capacity to a $250 billion institution within the next decade.

Under his watch as overseer of the Bank’s Equity Mobilisation and Investor Relations unit, Afreximbank successfully raised $3.6 billion in ordinary equity as of April 2025. His strategic leadership has been crucial in building the Bank’s institutional strength and regional relevance.

Before joining Afreximbank, Elombi taught law at the University of Hull in the UK and holds an LL.M. and Ph.D. in commercial arbitration from the London School of Economics. He also holds a Master's from the University of Yaoundé.

Elombi’s appointment comes after a rigorous international selection process launched in January 2025, drawing global interest and culminating in a vote of confidence by Afreximbank’s shareholders.

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