Afreximbank Sends Matereke to Nigeria to Lead Anglophone West Africa Operations

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Director of Regional Operations for East Africa at the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Mr Kudakwashe Matereke, has been appointed as the Director of Regional Operations for Anglophone West Africa, based in Abuja, Nigeria.

The lender announced this appointment in a statement on Monday. It is one of the others made to strengthen regional operations, deepen client engagement, and enhance delivery of the bank’s mandate across Africa and the Caribbean.

The appointments are also integral to Afreximbank’s growth ambitions and its efforts to accelerate intra-African trade, industrialisation and regional integration. By strengthening leadership across its regional platforms, the Bank is positioning itself to expand market coverage, improve transaction execution and deepen engagement with clients and stakeholders across Africa and the Caribbean.

Mr Matereke brings extensive experience in trade finance, business development, and client relationship management, and will lead regional business development, client coverage, and stakeholder engagement.

Also appointed is Mr Eric Intong Monchu as the Group Managing Director for Client Relations and Regional Operations, based in Cairo, Egypt, after serving in the role in an acting capacity. In this position, he will lead the company’s client relations and regional operations functions, strengthening coordination between business development, client coverage, and transaction execution.

In addition, Mr Humphrey Nwugo has been appointed as the Director of Regional Operations for Eastern Africa, based in Kampala, Uganda, following a similar regional operations role in Southern Africa. He brings extensive experience in banking operations, syndications, corporate finance, and regional execution, and will oversee the financial institution’s regional operations, market coverage, and client engagement in Eastern Africa.

Further, Mr Peter Adeshola Olowononi has been appointed as the Director of Regional Operations for Southern Africa, based in Harare, Zimbabwe. Prior to his appointment, he served as Director, Client Relations, Anglophone West Africa. Mr Olowononi brings extensive experience in client coverage, transaction origination, and regional business development, and will lead the firm’s operations and strategic engagement across Southern Africa.

In the same vein, Mr Roy Reid has been appointed as the Chief Operating Officer of the Caribbean Office, in Bridgetown, Barbados, effective July 15, 2026. Prior to his appointment, he served as Senior Advisor at the Office of the Prime Minister of Jamaica. Mr Reid brings more than 20 years of experience across government advisory, financial services, investment management, fintech, and business development, and will support the Bank’s operations, regional coordination, and stakeholder engagement across the Caribbean.

Collectively, the appointments strengthen the links between client coverage, regional operations and transaction execution. With most of the appointees progressing from within the Bank, they bring strong institutional knowledge, established client relationships and a clear understanding of Afreximbank’s strategic priorities. This continuity will support faster execution, greater responsiveness to market needs, and delivery of the Bank’s growth, trade, and development targets across Africa and the Caribbean.

Speaking on the appointments, the president of Afreximbank, Mr George Elombi, said, “These appointments highlight the depth of leadership and professional talent within Afreximbank, as well as our commitment to placing experienced executives at the centre of executing the bank’s development mandate: a mandate to change the structure of African trade.

“Each appointee brings valuable experience and deep knowledge of African and Caribbean markets. Above all, each shares a strong belief in the Bank’s founding philosophy that Africa’s development destiny lies with Africans and that our collective mission is to restore the dignity of the African.”