By Barnabas Esiet.
The African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK) and African Risk Capacity (ARC) Group have agreed to jointly enhance resilience and disaster risk financing initiatives that would impact the trade and supply chain across the continent of Africa.
This follows the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the two bodies to enable joint member states enhance disaster response and resiliency initiatives using available banking and insurance products suited for localized challenges.
According to a joint statement, the MoU’s primary intervention is to provide Food Emergency Contingent Financing Facility (FECONTRAF) to joint member countries that participate in African Risk Capacity’s sovereign/macro disaster risk transfer programme, national capacity building and food security policy development.
“This new partnership with the African Risk Capacity Group will ensure we support member countries to be disaster aware, prepared and solutions oriented.
In collaboration with the ARC, we aim to improve their capacities to better plan and respond to natural and man-made disasters that may hamper trade facilitation across the continent and make available the needed support to combat disasters when they strike.” Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, said.
“The alignment of purpose between our two institutions for a food-secure and climate-resilient Africa is fundamental to this partnership. Through providing holisitic solutions we will lessen the negative impacts of natural disasters on lives and livelihoods.
“Therefore, our collaboration will help strengthen countries’ response systems by promoting the availability, accessibility, and affordability of critical resources for anticipatory climate action.
” United Nations Assistant Secretary General (ASG) and Group Director General of the African Risk Capacity (ARC) Group, Mr Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, noted.
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