The event, regarded as one of the region’s key platforms for trade dialogue, is expected to bring together about 450 delegates drawn from 200 companies across 15 countries. Over two days, participants will engage with 45 speakers in sessions focused on critical themes shaping West African trade, including agribusiness, commodities markets, infrastructure development, and risk management strategies.
Organisers say the conference will deliver practical insights and forward-looking analysis of the evolving dynamics influencing trade flows across the sub-region, while also providing a platform for networking among financiers, exporters, policymakers, and corporate leaders.
In its remarks on the sponsorship, First Bank highlighted its expanding footprint across West Africa and its strategic role in facilitating cross-border trade and investment within the sub-Saharan region.
Speaking through Olayinka Ijabiyi, Acting Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, the bank noted that its operations across six subsidiaries in the region position it as a key driver of financial integration and economic activity.
“As a bank with six subsidiaries within the West African region, FirstBank is playing a leading role in driving trade and investment across sub-Saharan Africa,” Ijabiyi said. “We have a strong commitment to optimise these footprints to enhance business development in all our countries of operations.”
He added that the institution is increasingly leveraging digital and payment infrastructure, including the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), to streamline cross-border transactions, reduce settlement bottlenecks, and improve efficiency for businesses operating across African markets. According to him, these efforts are aimed at strengthening access for small and medium-sized enterprises as well as large corporates seeking to expand within the continent.
The conference will also feature prominent industry voices and policy experts, including Nneka Korley-Ndahi, Head of Transaction Banking Sales at First Bank; Oluseye Thomas, Head of Export, Structured Trade Finance and Trade Solutions at First Bank; Queenette Durosinmi-Etti, Chief Operating Officer of UAC of Nigeria; Adesanmi Adedayo, Senior Vice-President for Structured Trade Finance at Standard Bank Group; Innocent Isichei, Chief Executive Officer of ACIOE Associates; and Karim Ezzeddine, Vice-President at SkyKapital, among others.
Discussions are expected to centre on improving trade efficiency, unlocking financing opportunities, strengthening regional supply chains, and addressing persistent barriers to intra-African commerce.
First Bank’s sponsorship of the GTR West Africa Trade and Finance Conference reflects what the institution describes as its long-term commitment to supporting economic growth, enhancing trade connectivity, and deepening financial integration across West Africa and the broader African continent.