From Uche Usim, Abuja
To boost its pending capability, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) on Wednesday announced the closing of a US$1 billion facility for the Bank of Industry, Nigeria’s state-owned development bank.
The Facility provides much-needed support to Nigerian businesses across key sectors and is the largest international syndicated loan to a Nigerian financial institution since the onset of the pandemic-induced economic difficulties.
The transaction was jointly arranged with Credit Suisse and involved a syndicate of 27 investors.
Afreximbank, along with Credit Suisse, acted as Joint Coordinating Mandated Lead Arrangers (MLAs), Underwriters and Bookrunners. Afreximbank was the Facility Agent and Security Trustee. The Africa Finance Corporation, Rand Merchant Bank, SMBC, and the Export-Import Bank of China also joined the deal as Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners.
The transaction follows a previous EUR 1 billion syndicated facility for Bank of Industry, which closed in March 2020.
Given the current adverse market conditions, the transaction constitutes a significant achievement for the parties involved. Importantly, the deal demonstrates the capacity of financial institutions to continue their vital activities during the pandemic and their positive attitude to African risks. The US$750 million underwriting provided by Afreximbank and Credit Suisse, which provided the Bank of Industry with the certainty of funds, distinguishes this transaction as amongst the few debt financings to be underwritten since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Commenting on the development, Prof Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, said: ‘Afreximbank is pleased to have once again worked with its partners to facilitate access to international finance at a time it is most needed. The Bank of Industry is a pivotal development finance institution in Nigeria under able leadership. We are proud to have been given the opportunity once again.’
Afreximbank is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution with the mandate of financing and promoting intra-and extra-African trade. Afreximbank was established in October 1993 and owned by African governments, the African Development Bank and other African multilateral financial institutions as well as African and non-African public and private investors. The Bank was established under two constitutive documents, an agreement signed by member states, which confers on the Bank the status of an international organization, and a Charter signed by all Shareholders, which governs its corporate structure and operations.
