The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) expanded lending and trade finance to record levels in 2025 as African governments and businesses sought alternatives to increasingly constrained international capital markets, underscoring the lender’s growing role as the continent’s countercyclical financier.
The Cairo-based bank approved a record $29.72 billion in financing last year, a 32.9% increase from 2024, while disbursements climbed 19.2% to an all-time high of $22.4 billion. Total assets rose almost 20% to $48.03 billion as the lender stepped up support for trade, infrastructure and industrial projects across Africa and the Caribbean.
The figures reflect rising demand for development finance as African economies grappled with elevated debt servicing costs, limited access to global capital markets and geopolitical uncertainty that continued to weigh on trade and investment. Africa’s merchandise trade nevertheless rebounded 2.3% to $1.35 trillion in 2025, supported by stronger commodity prices and improving economic growth.
Outstanding loans and advances increased 17.7% to $36.29 billion, while total gross loans and contingent liabilities reached $42.51 billion. The bank also expanded syndicated lending aggressively, with approvals jumping 159% to $8.45 billion as it arranged financing for capital-intensive sectors including energy, transport, mining and metals.
Direct financing to corporate clients rose 64.6% to $9.91 billion, accounting for one-third of total approvals as Afreximbank increased support for manufacturing, agriculture, infrastructure, natural resources and industrialization projects.
The bank said it deployed more than $22.4 billion through 183 investments during the year to advance intra-African trade and industrial development under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It facilitated $8.7 billion in intra-African trade and helped narrow the continent’s trade finance gap by 18.7%, exceeding its annual target of 15%.
To expand regional payment infrastructure, the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) grew to cover 20 countries, connecting more than 160 commercial banks and 16 payment switches. The platform also opened its network to financial technology firms, extending its reach to more than 500 million mobile money users across Africa.
The lender also accelerated investments aimed at boosting value addition on the continent, backing industrial parks, pharmaceutical manufacturing, mining, electric mobility and transport infrastructure. Two industrial parks completed in West Africa attracted nearly $1.3 billion in investment, while more than 30 industrial transactions helped generate $2.8 billion in manufactured exports during the year.
The report marked the first under President George Elombi, who succeeded Benedict Oramah in October after nearly three decades at the institution. Elombi said the bank will prioritize industrialization, strategic minerals processing, regional value chains, trade infrastructure and mobilizing global capital to reduce Africa’s dependence on raw commodity exports.
Afreximbank’s stronger balance sheet comes as multilateral lenders play an increasingly important role in financing African economies that remain largely shut out of international debt markets following a series of sovereign debt crises. The bank’s record approvals suggest demand for trade and development finance is likely to remain elevated as governments pursue industrialization and regional integration through the AfCFTA.
