From left to right: Mr. Kouame Elvis R. KRA, Financial Analyst at the ECOWAS BANK FOR INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT; Dr. Olagunju M. O. ASHIMOLOWO Vice President of Operations; Mrs. Caroll Bakang, AFRACA Head of Multilateral; Mr. Hughes GOA, Director of the Department of Public Sector Operations at the ECOWAS BANK FOR INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENTÂ The Secretary General met with Dr. Olagunju M. O. ASHIMOLOWO, Vice-President, Operations of BIDC on 10th December 2024, where discussions were held on common areas such as...
From left to right: Mrs. Caroll Bakang AFRACA Head of Multilateral Relations; Mr. Braima Luis SOARES CASSAMA Vice President, Banque Ouest Africaine de Developpement (BOAD); Mr. Thomas Essel, AFRACA Secretary General; Mr Toussaint BADOLO, Head of Department of Agriculture and Agro-industries.   The Vice-President and the Secretary General held discussions on potential areas of collaboration between the two organizations. The Secretary General acknowledged the support provided by the Bank to the Secretariat during Dr. Bassary Toure’s tenure as AFRACA Chairman, as well...
From left to right: Mr. Paapa AGBETRA, Head of Corporate Clients SME’s; Stephane Agbeko BATE, Deputy Managing Director; Thomas T. Essel, AFRACA Secretary General; Caroll Bakang, Head of Multilateral Relations; TELOU ESSOSSOLAM, Relationship Manager; Kobin K. WOUEKPO, Director of Risk Management.⯠During the meeting held on 9th December 2024 in Lome, the two organizations discussed best practices in agricultural finance implemented by Orabank in the region, including strategies for risk mitigation with the government acting as a facilitator. They also explored...
Group picture of high-level officials during the Strategic Forum in Kinshasa. From left to right: DieudonnĂ© Fikir Alimasi, Chairperson of AFRACA, and First Deputy Governor, Banque de la Republic du Congo, Mr. Muhindo Nzangi Butondo, Minister for Rural Development of DRC, Mr. Thomas T. Essel, Secretary General-AFRACA & Mr. Jacques Lutaladio Ne Bambi, Representative of the Minister of Agriculture & Director of Cabinet, DRC. Participants during the training on the âDigitalization of Financial Services in Rural and agricultural Finance,â Kinshasa,...
AFRACA Central Bank delegates pose for a group photo during the Central Bank Forum, 5th August 2024, Kampala, Uganda Mr. Richard Byarugaba, Executive Director Finance, Bank of Uganda making opening remarks during the opening session of the Central Bank Forum The 2024 AFRACA Central Bank Forum was held on the 5th through Thursday 8th August 2024 in Kampala, Uganda in collaboration with Bank of Uganda. The Forum convened under the general theme of Agricultural policies and financial inclusion deliberated on matters...
Happy 2025! As we look forward to another new year, I am happy to bring to you our highlights of an amazing 2024 full of new learnings and exciting collaborations. I am delighted to announce that AFRACA concluded its focused impact study with Central bank institutions. The report titled Insights into Central Bank Policies on rural and agricultural finance: The case of AFRACA members is now ready for validation. The report is a huge milestone for AFRACA in efforts to understand the...
Mark your calendars! The 8th World Congress on Rural & Agricultural Finance is coming to Mombasa, Kenya, from October 29th â 31st, 2025, at Sarova Whitesands Hotel. This global gathering, hosted by AFRACA and partners, will bring together financial institutions, policymakers, and development experts from across the world to discuss resilient local agrifood systems and the role of robust financing mechanisms and policies in driving sustainable rural development. Why Attend?Gain insights from global leaders & financial expertsExplore cutting-edge solutions for agricultural financeNetwork...
AFRACA had the honor of participating in the launch of the Mastercard Foundation Fund for Resilience and Prosperity in Nairobi, Kenya. Through this intervention, the Fund will run competitive challenges or calls for proposals aimed at Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) that show the potential to create work opportunities for young women and men, young people living with disabilities or refugee youth in Sub-Saharan Africa. The challenge focused on three sectors to establish a robust portfolio of innovative SMEs as...
The meeting, convened by Amb. Dr. Samori Okwiya, CEO of NEPAD/APRM Kenya Secretariat, took place on 30th May 2024. The discussion centered on potential collaborations between NEPAD, AFRACA, and Sprout Africa, focusing on AFRACA’s role as a technical partner for the upcoming Non-profit Konnect Summit to be held in November 2024. The program structure and organization of business-to-business meetings with local Nonprofit Organizations in Kenya were also key topics. Nonprofit Konnect is a platform for Public-Nonprofit collaboration, bringing...
 Members of  Olgaboli womenâs group on set during the Shamba Shape Up TV Series in Laikipia East, Kenya AFRACA has embarked on a significant partnership with the Alliance of Bioversity International and the Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), an affiliate research institution of CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research). This collaboration aims to foster innovation and resilience in agricultural practices across Africa, addressing key areas such as climate finance, agri-insurance, food systems, and knowledge dissemination. To cement...
