Cairo, 10 July 2014 – The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has arranged a 250 million-Euro syndicated bridge financing facility for Cote d’Ivoire’s state-owned Port Autonome d’Abidjan (PAA) to enable the company expand facilities at the Abidjan Port.
According to the agreement signed by PAA and the participating banks in Cairo and Abidjan, Afreximbank and Société Générale Cote d’Ivoire will each provide 50 million Euros while Banque Atlantique, through its group across Africa, will participate in an amount of 100 million Euros. Banque Atlantique will also serve as the local agent bank for the transaction.
Information made available by the banks today showed that the funds would be used by PAA to finance advance payment and related costs for the expansion of the Abidjan Port, including the enlargement and deepening of Vridi Canal as well as the construction of Container Terminal 2 and a RoRo terminal by China Harbour Engineering Company ltd.
“Afreximbank is happy to be part of this effort by PAA to adapt the infrastructure at the Abidjan Port to the new demands of global trade,” said Jean-Louis Ekra, President of Afreximbank, after signing the agreement on behalf of the Bank. “By increasing the port’s handling capacity for containers, this project should enhance the position of the Abidjan Port as the gateway that connects the nearby hinterland West Africa countries to international markets.”
PAA, which began operations in 1951 following its creation in 1950, is responsible for the management of the Port of Abidjan. One of Africa’s busiest ports in terms of volume, the Port of Abidjan serves as a major international trans-shipment and transit traffic hub through which 70 per cent of the foreign trade of hinterland countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, etc.) passes.
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About Afreximbank:
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is the foremost Pan-African multilateral financial institution devoted to financing and promoting intra- and extra-African trade. The Bank was established in October 1993 by African governments, African private and institutional investors, and non-African investors. Its two basic constitutive documents are the Establishment Agreement, which gives it the status of an international organization, and the Charter, which governs its corporate structure and operations. Since 1994, Afreximbank has approved almost $30 billion in credit facilities for African businesses, including about $3.5 billion in 2013. Afreximbank is headquartered in Cairo. For more information, visit: www.afreximbank.com