Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has commended the African Export-Import Bank, AFREXIM, for its efforts in stimulating and developing African trade, including its many engagements in Nigeria.
Osinbajo, gave made the commendation on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa while interacting with a delegation from the bank led by its President, Professor Benedict Oramah.
The Vice President expressed satisfaction with the work done by the bank and the interest shown in areas such as health infrastructure, trade facilitation and tourism, among others.
He noted that the Federal Government’s programmes in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector, particularly in the Shared Facility Initiative under the National MSMEs Clinic, are important and deserving of AFREXIM’s backing.
Osinbajo, said the initiative which is implemented in collaboration with state governments and aimed at developing manufacturing clusters across the country, could be enhanced through partnership with the bank.
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The president of the Bank Professor Oramah earlier in his presentation on some of the bank’s projects across Nigeria, said AFREXIM has plans of investing in important sectors of the Nigerian economy including health, citing plans to build a world class tertiary hospital and health park in Abuja.
He said the 500-bed state-of-the-art hospital will be developed in collaboration with Kings College Hospital in the UK, and other partners.
He also disclosed an arrangement under the AFREXIM Bank facility to deliver 40 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to Nigeria over a short period of time.
Adding that the bank was committed to ensuring that the continent achieved herd immunity by vaccinating about 60% of Africa’s population against the disease.
(Editor:Abaje Usekwe)
