Coronation Merchant Bank Holds 2nd Virtual Series, AfCFTA – ‘The Road Ahead’

Nigeria’s leading financial institution, Coronation Merchant Bank recently held the 2nd edition of its Interactive Session Series themed ‘AfCFTA – The Road Ahead’.

The virtual event featured Francis Anatogu, Executive Secretary, National Action Committee on the African Continental Free Trade Area; Komi Tsowou, Economic Affairs Officer at African Trade Policy Center, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and Chinwe Egwim, Chief Economist, Coronation Merchant Bank.

Other speakers and panellists at the session included Demola Adekoya, Head, Corporate Banking, Coronation Merchant Bank and Kesiena Esievo, Head, Global Trade, Coronation Merchant Bank.

On opportunities in AfCFTA and plotting a course for Africa’s economic recovery, Anatogu said the strategic objective of Nigeria’s participation was to capture 10% of Africa’s imports and double the country’s export revenues by 2025.

“The AfCFTA provides a platform to improve resilience in our economy and make every state economically viable”, he explained.

On building a trading system that is driven by Africans and delivered to the world, Tsowou noted that almost everything is being exported mainly from the rest of the world which means there is a huge gap that products made in Africa can supply.

Coronation Merchant Bank Holds 2nd Virtual Series, AfCFTA – The Road Ahead

“One thing COVID-19 has shown us is that during the crisis, supply disruption makes countries that are heavily dependent on remote markets very vulnerable.

“The AfCFTA is creating an African market for African products which will contribute to the reduction of this export gap and our over-reliance on exports of world markets.

“By 2045, intra-trade can increase as much as 40 per cent with the AfCFTA as a catalyst compared to 20 per cent if the AfCFTA was not in place”, the expert said.

Banjo Adegbohungbe, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Coronation Merchant Bank, observed that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the international trade landscape has undergone rapid changes.

“From supply chain disruptions to higher logistics cost to the adoption of digital platforms, the landscape has continued to evolve. More than ever before, organisations have been faced with multiple challenges while trying to meet their strategic objectives

“The expansion of Intra-African trade is a critical enabler for the Nigerian economy. As Africa continues on its journey to economic recovery, it must look inwards and strive to leverage the resources and synergies in growing trade finance not just for the benefit of Africa but for the whole world.”

Demola Adekoya, Group Head, Corporate Banking stated that institutions have a duty “to enlighten clients on how they can navigate these uncertain times”.

Adekoya said the Coronation Interactive Session provides a platform to create significant value for customers around major issues that impact their business objectives.

“We have chosen to focus this webinar around the potentials and opportunities within the AfCFTA so as to explore the opportunities and provide winning insights for corporates on how to strategically position themselves to take advantage of the trade agreement”, he added.

Established in 2015, Coronation Merchant Bank offers Corporate & Investment Banking, Private Banking/Wealth Management and, Global Markets/Treasury Services to its niche clientele. It has two branches located in Abuja and Port Harcourt with its Head Office in Lagos.

The bank has received international and national awards for product innovation and sound corporate governance practices.

Some bagged in 2021, 2020 and 2019 include Best Investment Bank in Nigeria by Global Finance; Best Investment Bank in Nigeria by World Finance; Best Investment Bank in Nigeria by Global Banking & Finance Review; Best Investment Bank by Global Business Outlook, and Best Investment Bank in Nigeria by International Finance.

The bank has been rated ‘B-‘ with a Stable Outlook by Fitch, one of the ‘Top 3’ global rating agencies, making it the first and only Nigerian Merchant Bank to receive an international risk rating. It also attained a strong investment grade rating of “A+” with a stable outlook in 2021 (the highest among Merchant Banks in Nigeria), according to the foremost rating agency, Agusto & Co.