Benedict Okey Oramah

Benedict Okechukwu Oramah was born on 24 July 1961 to Chief Lazarus A. and Francisca U. Oramah in Ahoada, in present-day Rivers State of Nigeria. He is from Nnokwa town in Idemili South Local Government, Anambra State. He is the youngest of four children.^[7]

Oramah attended the Merchants of Light School in Oba before obtaining a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan in 1983. He subsequently obtained his master's degree and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in the same field. Oramah holds an Advanced Management Certificate from Columbia Business School, New York.^[7][8]

In 2018, he was appointed a professor of International Trade and Finance by Adeleke University, Nigeria.^[9]

Oramah began his professional career at the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) in 1992 as an Assistant Manager.

In March 1994, he joined African Export-Import Bank as one of the original employees. He has served in various roles in Afreximbank included serving as Chief Analyst, assistant director in 1998, deputy director in 2001, and substantive Director of the Planning and Business Development Department in 2004. He was promoted to Senior Director in 2007 and appointed Executive Vice President, Business Development and Corporate Banking in 2008.^[6]

On July 13, 2015, he succeeded Jean-Louis Ekra as the third President of Afreximbank.^[10] His leadership was reaffirmed with his reappointment for a second five-year term in 2020.^[11][12]

Under his leadership, Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its impact fund subsidiary, the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management arm, AfrexInsure. The group also includes several strategic subsidiaries and initiatives, such as MANSA, a repository platform for customer due diligence on African entities; the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS); Creative African Nexus (CANEX); the African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE); the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF); and the Africa Quality Assurance Centre (AQAC). During his tenure, the Bank's balance sheet assets have grown from $5 billion in 2015^[13] to $37 billion in 2023.^[14]

Oramah is married to Mrs. Chinelo Oramah. They have three daughters.^[7]

Oramah holds various leadership and board roles in several organizations and initiatives, including.

• Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA)
• Chairman of the management board of Directors of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS)
• Chairman of the executive committee of the Arab-Africa Trade Bridges (AATB),^[15]
• Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the African Union COVID-19 Response Fund,^[16]
• Board member of the Sustainable Development Goals Centre for Africa (SDGCA),^[17]
• Member, Consultative Board on the World Cocoa Economy of the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO).^[18]
• Member of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) Advisory Council,^[19]
• Member of the Practitioners Advisory Board of the Institute for Trade and Innovation (IfTI)^[20] at Offenburg University, Germany
• Board member of the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA)^[21]
• Member of the Emerging Markets Advisory Council of the Institute of International Finance (IIF-EMAC).^[22]
• Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration (ICA) and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).