Afreximbank Academy (AFRACAD) has opened registration for the 2026 edition of its Certificate of Trade Finance in Africa (COTFIA) programme, with a deadline of 31 May 2026.

The programme targets banking professionals and trade finance practitioners looking to deepen their understanding of international trade finance, with specific attention to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and its implications for intra-African trade.

Developed in partnership with Factors Chain International, the American University in Cairo (AUC), and Quarter Bank, COTFIA runs in a blended format: five modules delivered online via instructor-led virtual sessions, one module delivered in person at the AUC campus in New Cairo, Egypt, and one final module completed asynchronously online.

AFRACAD is offering 50% tuition scholarships to the first seven applicants for the 2026 cohort.

Stephen Kauma, Managing Director of Human Resources at Afreximbank, described the programme as strategically important for building a new generation of trade finance professionals capable of advancing Africa’s trade agenda and strengthening the continent’s competitiveness in global markets.

The COTFIA programme won the Silver Award in the Professional Development category at the 2025 European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Excellence in Practice Awards, presented in Stockholm, Sweden. Since launching in 2016, the programme has trained more than 150 professionals from across the continent.