Afreximbank has announced a new strategic target to deploy $40 billion in support of intra-African trade and investment by 2026.
The bank disclosed the commitment during a multistakeholder engagement in Abuja, where senior executives outlined a broadened financing agenda aimed at building productive capacity, scaling regional value chains, and supporting African companies positioned to operate across multiple jurisdictions.
According to the bank, the increased financing ambition is anchored on a suite of trade-facilitation instruments designed to remove long-standing bottlenecks that limit the movement of goods, services, and capital within the continent.
These instruments include liquidity support, risk-mitigation tools, investment facilitation programmes, and specialised advisory mechanisms targeted at companies expanding across borders.
Afreximbank highlighted two major interventions underpinning the expanded effort: a continental programme that supports emerging industrial leaders with financing and risk guarantees, and an initiative designed to strengthen engineering and project-delivery capability across African economies.
Both instruments are intended to boost capacity in manufacturing, infrastructure development, and industrial processing—sectors considered essential to the success of the AfCFTA.
The bank noted that several African companies have already benefited from these initiatives, with multiple enterprises using the facilities to widen their operational footprint in energy, manufacturing, and processing industries across different regions.
Afreximbank said these examples show the potential of African firms to build competitive scale when supported with appropriate financial and technical frameworks.
Beyond corporate financing, the bank emphasised the need for policy and regulatory alignment among member states as the AfCFTA moves into deeper implementation.
Afreximbank said it is working closely with governments and regional institutions to strengthen trade-related legislation, upgrade national quality frameworks, and improve compliance with continental standards that enable smoother market access.
In line with this mandate, the bank is contributing to the development of trade-adjustment mechanisms designed to support countries transitioning to the continent-wide tariff regime.
This includes financial buffers for states facing temporary revenue decline and technical assistance to support reforms required under the new trade architecture.
Afreximbank stated that the AfCFTA represents a pivotal opportunity for Africa to industrialise at scale, but warned that the gains would depend on sustained investment, coordinated reforms, and stronger alignment between public and private-sector actors.
The institution called for continued collaboration among governments, regulators, and businesses to ensure that Africa’s single market evolves into a competitive production hub capable of meeting regional and global demand.
The bank affirmed that its financing commitment is intended to help bridge existing gaps in capacity, enhance the movement of value-added goods, and promote a more integrated African economy that can generate jobs, build resilience, and expand continental wealth.