UBA Sierra Leone proudly partnered with the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Trade and Industry at the Sierra Leone Regional AFCFTA Conference, held from 14th – 17th October, 2025, at the Foreign Service Academy, Tower Hill, Freetown.
Themed “From Policy to Practice: Accelerating Sierra Leone’s AFCFTA Implementation for Sustainable Economic Transformation,” the conference brought together key stakeholders from the public and private sectors to deliberate on strategies for deepening regional trade integration and economic growth.
UBA Sierra Leone on Wednesday 15th October took an active role in the discussions, with Ms Nkem Osakwe, Head of Transactional Banking serving as one of the distinguished panelists during the session on “Unlocking Trade Finance and Payment Integration: Strengthening Sierra Leone’s Financial Sector through AFCFTA and the Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).”
In her submission, Ms. Osakwe emphasized the importance of embracing PAPSS across both private and government institutions, highlighting it as a game changer in facilitating seamless intra African trade. She further encouraged Sierra Leoneans and Africans at large to begin embracing local currencies, stressing that only through such collective action can the continent fully experience the benefits of PAPSS and the broader AFCFTA agenda.
Her insightful contributions and practical recommendations drew commendation from the audience, underscoring UBA Sierra Leone’s leadership and commitment to advancing Africa’s economic integration through innovative financial solutions.
UBA Sierra Leone remains steadfast in supporting initiatives that foster sustainable trade and financial inclusion, under the AFCFTA framework in alignment with the UBA Group.
