Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

The Arab- Africa Trade Bridge (AATB) plays a strategic and increasingly critical role in bringing Arab and African markets closer, especially at a time when global economic uncertainty is testing the resilience of countries of the two regions.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the International Islamic Finance Trade Corporation (ITFC), Engr. Adeeb Al Aama, stated this in an interview  at the end of the just-concluded agribusiness event organized by the Corporation, in Abuja.

According to him, ITFC pursues a mandate of fostering Business-to-Business cooperation among Arab and African countries, with a view to growing the economies of the two regions, to withstand global economic pressures and improve the living standards of ordinary Arabs and Africans.

The ITFC boss added that his organisation has supported value-chain development, as well as, strengthened institutional readiness among African countries to be able to optimise the opportunities provided by African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) designed to boost intra-African trade.

Engr. Aama said, “What the Programme does uniquely well is integrate trade finance, technical assistance, capacity building, and private-sector matchmaking into one coherent platform. This allows us to address different barriers to trade at the same time.

“Through AATB, ITFC has supported value-chain development, strengthened institutional readiness for AfCFTA, expanded access to trade finance, and facilitated cross-border partnerships that would not have happened otherwise.

“We are seeing stronger demand for AATB interventions because countries recognize that regional integration is no longer optional — it is essential for food security, industrial growth, and sustainable development.

“So the role of AATB today is very clear: to help member countries trade more with each other, reduce vulnerabilities to external shocks, and build a stronger, more connected Arab–Africa economic space.”

Engr. Aama said that the AATB Programme has placed strong emphasis on agribusiness and food security this year.

According to him, “Agribusiness and food security have become high-priority areas because they directly affect economic stability and social wellbeing across both regions.

In his words, “Through AATB, our objective is to move beyond short-term interventions and build resilient, competitive agricultural value chains that create jobs, strengthen exports, and reduce import dependency.

“This year we have seen very encouraging momentum: The Wheat Value Chain Initiative in Mauritania, the Agribusiness B2B platform in Abuja, and multiple capacity-building programs.”

The CEO said his organization expected to see real deals, real financing, and real impact by turning agribusiness into a powerful engine of trade growth and food security across the Arab–Africa region.