Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Finance |
Founded | 2007 |
Headquarters | 3a Osborne Road Ikoyi, Lagos State, Nigeria |
Key people | Emeka Emuwa (Chairman) Samaila Zubairu (President & CEO) |
Products | Development Finance Institution |
Total assets | US$10.5 billion (2022) [1] |
Owner | African governments African banks Private equity funds Insurance groups |
Website | www.africafc.org |
Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) is a pan-African Multilateral Development Financial Institution established in 2007 by sovereign African states to provide pragmatic solutions to Africa's infrastructure deficit and challenging operating environment. The Corporation bridges the infrastructure investment gap through the provision of debt and equity finance, project development, technical and financial advisory services. [2] [3] [4]
AFC's investment remit is pan- African, focusing on investment across makes investments across five key sectors; Power, Transport and Logistics, Natural Resources, Telecommunications and Heavy industries. [5]
AFC is majority owned by private investors the bulk of which are African financial institutions, Private investors own 62% of the corporation. A further 38% is owned by the Central Bank of Nigeria. In addition to private investors owning shares, AFC’s allows African states (through their respective central banks, sovereign wealth funds, state pension funds or similar institutions) to be both shareholders and members of the corporation. As of December 2022, AFC has forty (40) member states. [6]
Africa Finance Corporation, to date, has invested over US$ 11.5 billion in infrastructure projects across Africa. [1]
Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) was launched in December, 2007 by the founding President and Chief Executive Mr Austine Ometoruwa, then Citibank Africa Investment Bank Head and by the founding Chairman Chukwuma Soludo, then governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), with US$2 billion of authorised share capital. [7]
In June, 2009 AFC agreed an equity financing deal with a consortium of investors in the US$240 million Main One Cable System, a 7,000 km submarine fibre-optic cable connecting West Africa to Europe. [8] [9]
By July 2009, it was reported by Reuters that AFC had US$180 million invested in oil and gas, telecoms, transport and airline projects – mainly in Nigeria. [10]
In September 2011, the corporation partnered with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and Banque Internationale pour l' Afrique Occidentale - Côte d'Ivoire (BIAO-CI) in a US$320 million trade finance facility to finance the importation, processing and refining of crude oil by Societe Ivoirienne de Raffinage (SIR). [11]
In June 2013, AFC announced its support for privatisation of the Nigerian power sector, providing a US$215 million debt financing facility for the acquisition of the Ughelli Power plc by Transcorp. [12] The previous month it had joined Lagos-based Vigeo and India’s Tata Power in a consortium which successfully bid US$129 million for Benin Distribution Company. [13] In August 2013, AFC provided a US$170 million loan facility to Nigerian firm Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited (MESL) in its successful bid for the 1,338 MW Kainji Hydroelectric power plant in Niger State, Nigeria. [14]
At the same time it was invited to become a private sector partner in the US $7 billion USAID-funded ‘Power Africa’ initiative announced by US President Obama in Cape Town. [15] AFC has since invested US$250 million and leveraged an additional US$1billion of investments in the power sectors of Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria. [16]
In December 2014, AFC took a 23.2% stake in Mozambican power developer Ncondezi Energy. [17]
Also in December 2014, AFC became the largest investor and lead developer in the US$900 million Kpone Independent Power Project (Kpone IPP) in Ghana, which comprises a 350MW gas turbine, a substation and fuel storage. [18]
In July 2015, the corporation signed a joint development agreement with the Ivorian project company Ivoire Hydro Energy SA (IHE) to build a 44MW hydroelectric power plant in Singrobo, Côte d'Ivoire. [19]
In June 2016, AFC and institutional investor Harith General Partners merged their power sector assets to form a new entity combining renewable and non-renewable power generating assets in Africa. [20]
AFC signed its first loan – a US$50 million bilateral deal with Standard Bank – in July 2011. [21] The following year the African Development Bank (AfDB) approved a US$200 million line of credit to AFC with the mandate to catalyse investments and help bridge Africa’s infrastructure gap. [22]
In October 2013, AFC launched its first syndicated loan – a US$250 million deal with Citibank, Rand Merchant Bank, Standard Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank – to finance trade projects. [23]
In June 2016, AFC borrowed US$150 million for 15 years from KfW, for onward lending in the sectors of power, telecommunications, transport and heavy industry [24]
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is an international financial institution that offers investment, advisory, and asset-management services to encourage private-sector development in less developed countries. The IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States.
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) was the United States Government's Development finance institution until it merged with the Development Credit Authority (DCA) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to form the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). OPIC mobilized private capital to help solve critical development challenges and in doing so, advanced the foreign policy of the United States and national security objectives.
The African Development Bank Group is a multilateral development finance institution, headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast since September 2014. The AfDB is a financial provider to African governments and private companies investing in the regional member countries (RMC).
Ecobank, whose official name is Ecobank Transnational Inc. (ETI), is a pan-African banking conglomerate, with banking operations in 33 African countries. It is the leading independent regional banking group in West Africa and Central Africa, serving wholesale and retail customers. It also maintains subsidiaries in Eastern and Southern Africa. ETI has an affiliate in France, and representative offices in China, Dubai, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
Guaranty Trust Holding Company PLC also known as GTCO PLC is a multinational financial services group, that offers retail and investment banking, pension management, asset management and payments services, headquartered in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. GTCO Plc was created in July 2021 following the corporate reorganization of Guaranty Trust Bank PLC into a Holding Company.
Emerging Capital Partners (ECP) is a Pan-African private equity firm that has raised over US$2 billion through funds and co-investment vehicles for growth capital investing in Africa. Founded in 2000 under the leadership of Thomas Gibian, Hurley Doddy, Vincent Le Guennou, and Carolyn Campbell, ECP has over 20 years of investing experience on the continent and is one of the largest and longest-established private equity fund managers focused on Africa, with an investment team operating in three offices on the continent. In May 2007, when ECP closed its second fund with capital commitments of over US$520 million, the company became the first private equity group to raise over $1 billion for investment in Africa. ECP has made over 60 investments covering more than 44 African countries and has realized 48 full exits.
The economy of Ivory Coast is stable and currently growing, in the aftermath of political instability in recent decades. The Ivory Coast's economy is largely market-based and depends heavily on the agricultural sector. Almost 70% of the Ivorian people are engaged in some form of agricultural activity. The economy grew 82% in the 1960s, reaching a peak growth of 360% in the 1970s, but this proved unsustainable and it shrank by 28% in the 1980s and a further 22% in the 1990s. This decline, coupled with high population growth, resulted in a steady fall in living standards. The gross national product per capita, now rising again, was about US$727 in 1996. It was substantially higher two decades before. Real GDP growth is expected to average 6.5% in 2024–25.
Patrick Jérôme Achi is an Ivorian politician who served as Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire from March 2021 to October 2023 in President Alassane Ouattara's government. He is a member of the Rally of the Republicans (RDR). He studied at Supélec and Stanford University and specialises in engineering and infrastructure. He has also worked as the government spokesman for President Alassane Ouattara.
Access Bank Plc, commonly known as Access Bank, is a Nigerian multinational commercial bank, owned by Access Bank Group. It is licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the national banking regulator.
Benin is a coastal country located in the Gulf of Guinea in Western Africa, which is a resource rich region. Energy in Benin has a diverse energy mix and takes several forms including: solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, fossil resources, and mineral resources. Out of this energy mix, about 60% of energy comes from biomass. Benin is also dependent on energy imports from Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. While power plants and other energy facilities were built in the 1950s and 1960s, the lack of investment has led to deterioration over time. Similarly, its location in the Gulf of Guinea has led to an attempt of oil production starting in the late 1980s. However, due to unprofitable operations, oil production halted in 1998.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank and international financial institution that aims to collectively improve economic and social outcomes in Asia. It is the world's second largest multi-lateral development institution. Headquartered in Beijing, China, the bank currently has 109 members, including 13 prospective members from around the world. The breakdown of the 109 members by continents are as follows: 42 in Asia, 26 in Europe, 22 in Africa, 9 in Oceania, 8 in South America, and 2 in North America. The bank started operation after the agreement entered into force on 25 December 2015, after ratifications were received from 10 member states holding a total number of 50% of the initial subscriptions of the Authorized Capital Stock.
Mohammed Mulibah Sherif is the General Manager of regional transmission company TRANSCO CLSG based in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. He is an economist and project management specialist. He is recognized for his role in Liberia’s debt relief through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) process and also for helping to stabilize the Liberian economy from the effects of a prolonged civil conflict. He is married with five children.
IHS Towers is one of the largest independent owners, operators and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world, with operations across Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. It is the third largest independent multinational tower company in the world.
The Silk Road Fund is a China Government Guidance Fund to foster increased investment in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, an economic development initiative primarily covering Eurasia. The Chinese government pledged US$40 billion for the creation of the investment fund, established on 29 December 2014.
The Azura-Edo Power Station is a natural gas-powered open cycle electricity generation plant, with a current operational capacity of 461 megawatts, located in Benin City in Nigeria. This is the first phase of a three-phase construction project of a combined cycle gas plant with planned capacity of 1,500 megawatts.
Kpone Thermal Power Station II, also Kpone Independent Thermal Power Station, is a 340 MW (460,000 hp) multi-fuel-fired thermal power station operating in Ghana.
Advans SA is a microfinance bank based in Luxembourg active in a number of developing countries. It was established in 2005.
Eranove is a French company active in the management of public services and in the production of electricity and drinking water in Africa. The company was formerly known as Finagestion.
The Singrobo Hydroelectric Power Station, also Singrobo-Ahouaty Hydroelectric Power Project, is a hydroelectric power station under construction across the Bandama River, in Ivory Coast. When completed, as expected in 2023, the power station will be the first, grid-ready hydroelectric power station, developed and owned by an independent power producer (IPP) in West Africa. The energy generated here will be sold to the Ivorian electric utility company, Cienergues, under a 35-year power purchase agreement (PPA).
Papa Madiaw Ndiaye, is a Senegalese economist and investor, who is the CEO of Advanced Finance and Investment Group, a pan-African private equity investment firm that he founded in 2005. In addition, since June 2024, Papa Madiaw sits as the Chairman of Ecobank Transnational Inc, a pan-African banking conglomerate, with banking operations in 33 African countries.