Afreximbank launches company to promote large -scale intra African trade

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has launched the African Trade and Distribution Company (ATDC) to boost large-scale trade in raw materials, minerals, and value-added products within Africa. The initiative, established through Afreximbank’s Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), is in partnership with Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP), Equitane DMCC, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.

Afreximbank has pledged $1 billion in funding to support ATDC’s operations, including aggregation of value-added goods, strengthening logistics and distribution, and financing subsidiaries. The launch took place at the Intra-Africa Trade Fair 2025 in Algiers,officiated by Afreximbank President Benedict Oramah, alongside Algeria’s acting Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb and leaders from Africa and the Caribbean.

Oramah emphasized that Africa has historically relied on external actors to process and trade its commodities and minerals. Through ATDC and its flagship subsidiary, ATDC Minerals (ATMIN),Afreximbank aims to ensure value addition, local economic integration, and greater African control over trade and resources.

ATDC has already secured partnerships across logistics, minerals, and agriculture. Key collaborations include:

·       Supplying feedstock to Arise IIP’s special economic zones.

·       A co-investment deal with BSMART Technology to build digitally integrated logistics hubs at major African ports.

·       Trade agreements with Export Trading Group (ETG), KK Kingdom Nigeria, and Sunbeth Global Concepts.

·       Plans for national ATDCs in Zimbabwe (with CBZ Holdings) and Nigeria (with the Nigeria Commodity Exchange).

Meanwhile, ATMIN has sealed landmark deals worth about $3 billion, including oil lifting arrangements with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and Roxzen Nigeria Limited.

Overall, ATDC is positioned as a major step toward transforming intra-African trade, strengthening regional value chains, and reducing dependence on external markets for processing and distribution.