Nigerian Export-Import Bank (Nexim) CEO and MD Roberts U Orya has been selected as the next honorary president of the Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-Nexid), a platform formed in 2006 to bolster South–South trade flows and investment relations.

Succeeding foreign trade bank of Latin America Bladex CEO Rubens Amaral Jr, who served from 2013 to now, Orya planned to leverage the nine-year-old 24-member G-Nexid to boost bilateral and multilateral agreements “of all kinds” between member export-import banks and development finance institutions.

He also aimed to “devote” his tenure to the development of appropriate collaborative frameworks and strategic partnerships with organisations such as Berne Union and the Association of African Development Finance Institutions.

“Expected benefits of such cooperation and partnerships would help improve trade and investment within the member countries; improve information sharing [and] capacity building – exchange programmes among member institutions while enabling regional integration and the growth of niche markets,” he said.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development international trade in goods and services and commodities director Guillermo Valles Galmes said the agency was ready to assist the G-Nexid in achieving its ambitions.

He added: “ … the South–South cooperation agenda and South–South cooperation initiatives must be determined by the countries of the South, guided by the principles of respect for national sovereignty, national ownership and independence, equality, nonconditionality, non-interference in domestic affairs and mutual benefit.”

Orya lauded Amaral for his achievements over the previous two years, including a new membership drive, increasing revenues and the reorganisation of the secretariat, which culminated in the recruitment of a new coordinator, besides others.

African Export-Import Bank chairperson and president Jean-Louis Ekra was head of G-Nexid from 2009 to 2013 and Export-Import Bank of India chairperson and MD TC Venkat Subramanian led the initiative from 2006 to 2009.