Afreximbank Unveils $1 Billion African Trade & Distribution Firm to Boost Value-Added Exports
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has launched a landmark initiative aimed at transforming the way Africa trades its commodities. With an initial $1 billion funding pledge, the new African Trade and Distribution Company (ATDC) is set to expand processing, logistics, and distribution of value-added goods and raw materials across the continent. Officials say the move could significantly reduce Africa’s reliance on exporting unprocessed resources.
Formed through the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), ATDC is a joint venture between Afreximbank, Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP), Equitane DMCC, and the AfCFTA Secretariat. The launch took place on Wednesday at the Intra-Africa Trade Fair (IATF2025) in Algiers, attended by top African leaders including Algeria’s Acting Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb. The event highlighted Afreximbank’s growing role in financing regional trade and industrialisation.
Speaking at the launch, Afreximbank President Prof. Benedict Oramah described ATDC as a game-changer. “Through ATDC and ATMIN, we aim to take back control of how our commodities and minerals are traded globally by integrating them into local economies to benefit more people,” he said. The initiative, he added, will “close the loop” on Africa’s long-standing dependence on raw commodity exports by building integrated value chains that keep more wealth within the continent.
ATDC also introduced its flagship subsidiary, ATDC Minerals (ATMIN), dedicated to the trade and financing of minerals and hydrocarbons. ATMIN immediately announced deals worth $3 billion, including oil lifting agreements with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and Roxzen Nigeria Limited. Other key partnerships include collaborations with Arise IIP to supply feedstock to industrial zones, a co-investment with BSMART Technology to develop digital logistics hubs in major African ports, and trade repos with ETG, KK Kingdom Nigeria, and Sunbeth Global Concepts.
The new company is already expanding its reach with joint ventures alongside CBZ Holdings and the Nigeria Commodity Exchange to set up national ATDCs in Zimbabwe and Nigeria. ATDC CEO Abdul Aziz Ba said the firm would “cultivate a robust trading ecosystem that integrates with global markets for shared prosperity,” while ATMIN CEO Ajay Oommen stressed the urgency of monetising Africa’s fossil fuel resources ahead of the global energy transition. The IATF2025, co-hosted by Afreximbank, the African Union Commission, and the AfCFTA Secretariat, concludes later this week in Algiers.
source: arise