The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) secured three major honors at the 2026 IFLR (International Financial Law Review)Africa Awards, underscoring its growing influence in structuring complex cross-border financings across the continent.
The multilateral lender was named “In-house Team of the Year: Financial Institutions” for a second consecutive year by the International Financial Law Review, while also clinching “Impact Deal of the Year” and “Projects Infrastructure Deal of the Year” for transactions tied to Nigeria’s energy and transport sectors.
The awards, which recognize innovation in African financial deals and the institutions behind them, highlighted Afreximbank’s role in a $1.35 billion corporate financing for the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited and a $1.26 billion sovereign-backed facility for the Lagos Calabar Coastal Highway.
In the NLNG transaction, Afreximbank acted as a mandated lead arranger within a syndicate of international and domestic lenders, delivering a multi-tranche financing package aimed at strengthening the company’s capital base. The deal is expected to support expansion at the gas exporter and reinforce its contribution to Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings.
For the highway project, Afreximbank partnered with First Abu Dhabi Bank as mandated lead arrangers on the $1.26 billion facility, which was fully underwritten with risk backing from the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit. The project ranks among Nigeria’s largest infrastructure financings and is seen as key to improving regional connectivity and trade flows.
The recognition reflects Afreximbank’s strategy of deploying structured finance to support intra-African trade and economic integration, particularly through large-scale energy and infrastructure projects.
The lender has increasingly taken a central role in bridging financing gaps for governments and corporates across Africa, leveraging partnerships with international and regional institutions to execute complex transactions.
The IFLR awards add to a string of accolades for Afreximbank, following a similar multi-category win in 2025, as it continues to expand its footprint in trade finance and project development across the continent.
