ALGIERS, Sept. 4 -- AFREXIMBANK President Prof. Benedict Oramah, today, September 4, 2025, called on African leaders and businesses to embrace what he described as a new struggle for the continents economic independence, powered by trade, innovation, and industrialization.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) in Algiers, Oramah compared todays challenges to the political struggles of the 1960s. “Instead of fighting in trenches, this battle will be fought on factory floors and tech incubation centers,” he told delegates. “Political independence without economic empowerment would be nothing but glorified servitude.”

He said the IATF has evolved into a formidable platform for t...