Afreximbank wins two 2026 Gold Quill Awards for trade fair and social media communications

Afreximbank said on 23 June 2026 that it had received two honours in the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Gold Quill Awards, recognising the bank’s work on events and digital communication. The 2026 awards list includes an Award of Excellence for the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 and an Award of Merit for Afreximbank’s social media campaigns.

The trade fair entry was recognised in the Special and Experiential Events category. IATF2025 was held in Algiers, Algeria, and brought together businesses, investors, government representatives and other organisations exploring trade and investment opportunities. Afreximbank said the fair attracted more than 120,000 participants in person and online and recorded trade and investment deals valued at over US$50 billion.

The US$50 billion figure is the bank’s reported value of deals associated with the event. It should not be interpreted as an audited total of payments already made, projects completed or exports delivered.

The social media award recognised the bank’s use of digital channels to present trade, industrialisation and investment initiatives to audiences across Africa and the Caribbean. Its communication efforts included executive commentary, event reporting, multimedia production and the bank’s Afreximbank TV channel.

Anne Ezeh, the bank’s director and global head of communications and events, said storytelling was important to helping audiences understand the institution’s initiatives and partnerships. The two awards distinguish separate aspects of the communications work: the organisation and presentation of a major event, and sustained engagement through online platforms.

The recognition is independently reflected in IABC’s published 2026 Gold Quill winners list. It highlights the role communications can play in connecting investors and businesses to trade initiatives, while the impact of individual campaigns still depends on the quality of their reach, engagement and resulting commercial activity.

Sources: Afreximbank press announcement dated 23 June 2026; IABC, 2026 Gold Quill Awards winners list. Featured photograph: Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 closing, a file image; not a photograph of the 2026 award ceremony.