G-NEXID’s 21st Annual General Assembly: Advancing South-South Trade and Development Finance
G-NEXID held its 21st Annual General Assembly on 14 September 2026 in Geneva, bringing together public development banks, export credit agencies and international organisations to advance South-South trade and development finance.
Held at the Manotel Hotel Royal under the theme “Scaling South-South Trade and Development Finance through Strategic Partnerships,” the Assembly marked G-NEXID’s 20th anniversary year. Discussions focused on expanding access to trade finance, strengthening institutional partnerships and identifying opportunities for South-South and triangular cooperation.
Twenty years of cooperation among development finance institutions
In his opening remarks, Dr. George Agyekum Donkor, Honorary President of G-NEXID and President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), called for dialogue to be translated into action. He highlighted co-financing, risk-sharing and knowledge exchange as means of expanding South-South trade and supporting sustainable development.
An institutional segment marking two decades of G-NEXID cooperation reviewed the Network’s evolution, achievements and priorities for the coming period.
Development bank partnerships to address trade-finance gaps
The High-Level Dialogue between Public Development Banks and Strategic Partners brought together representatives of:
- African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank);
- Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA);
- Swiss Export Risk Insurance (SERV);
- West African Development Bank (BOAD);
- OECD Development Centre; and
- World Trade Organization (WTO).
The discussion examined how development finance institutions and their partners can expand access to trade finance, mobilise public and private capital, strengthen productive capacities and support regional value chains. Participants explored the role of guarantees, blended finance, co-financing and other risk-sharing mechanisms in addressing persistent financing gaps.
Opportunities for South-South and triangular cooperation
The session on Partnership Opportunities for South-South and Triangular Cooperation explored collaboration across infrastructure and energy, industrialisation and regional value chains, agri-business and food security, SMEs, sustainable finance, and digitalisation and financial innovation.
Contributions from Afreximbank, DBSA, India Exim Bank and SERV addressed opportunities to develop transaction pipelines, support project preparation, provide technical assistance and deploy complementary financing solutions.
The Secretariat also facilitated 14 pre-arranged bilateral business and partnership meetings, supporting direct engagement and follow-up among participating institutions.
Statutory decisions and work programme priorities
During the statutory meeting, G-NEXID members adopted the 2025 financial statements and received the interim activity and financial reports for 2026.
Members reviewed the October–December 2026 work programme, including a forthcoming online training programme on the role of development banks in financing sustainable energy development. They also considered the broad orientations for the 2027 work programme.
The Assembly mandated the Honorary Presidency and the Secretariat to examine options for the next Annual Meeting and report back to members. Membership fees were maintained at their current level.
Launch of Strengthening Trade and Related Finance for the Global South
The Assembly concluded with a networking reception and the official launch of G-NEXID’s flagship publication, Strengthening Trade and Related Finance for the Global South.
Featuring contributions from G-NEXID members, the publication examines South-South trade, the trade-finance ecosystem and its financing gaps, the additionality of public development banks and EXIM banks, and the integration of sustainability into trade finance.
Through its policy discussions, bilateral meetings and work programme priorities, the 2026 Assembly provided a platform for members and partners to pursue closer cooperation in trade finance, sustainable energy financing and institutional capacity-building.
