The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has injected more than US$1 billion into Cameroon since 2024, cementing its role as a key financial partner for the Central African nation, Finance Minister Louis Paul Motazé said.
Motazé made the disclosure in Douala during a presentation to investors on the government’s 2026 financing program, describing Afreximbank as a “strategic partner” whose support reflects strong confidence in Cameroon’s economic potential and credit profile, even amid a demanding international financial environment.
Since opening its Central Africa regional office in Yaoundé in 2021, Afreximbank has steadily expanded into both public and private sector financing. According to the Finance Minister, the bank has mobilized cumulative facilities exceeding CFA600 billion, or approximately US$1.0 billion, for Cameroon.
Public sector support has been a significant portion of Afreximbank’s engagement. This includes a CFA200 billion (US$333 million) euro-to-CFA swap in June 2025, which enabled the government to raise funds through a BEAC public securities issuance. The bank also guaranteed CFA159 billion (US$265 million) in financing from local banks in 2025, providing critical liquidity for public sector development projects. Additionally, Afreximbank extended three loans totaling CFA96 billion (US$160 million) to fund a solar photovoltaic electrification project covering 200 localities, further boosting the government’s infrastructure and energy initiatives.
Alongside public projects, Afreximbank has increasingly supported private sector development. The bank financed nearly CFA2 billion (US$3.3 million) in feasibility and preparatory studies for a CFA161 billion (US$267 million) bitumen production plant in Kribi, promoted by All Bitumen PLC. The construction of the plant is expected to benefit Cameroon’s road infrastructure, a priority sector for national development. Afreximbank signed a mandated lead arranger agreement with All Bitumen PLC, enabling it to participate directly in financing and to mobilize other financial partners for the project, demonstrating the bank’s commitment to industrial development and strategic infrastructure.
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Since September 2025, the institution has been led by Cameroonian national George Elombi, highlighting the bank’s African leadership and regional integration focus. Afreximbank supports economic diversification, industrialization, and intra-African trade, providing African countries with financial instruments that reinforce economic sovereignty.
Cameroon maintains a dual relationship with Afreximbank, as a member state and as a category B shareholder through its National Social Insurance Fund (CNPS), which has invested CFA700 million (US$1.2 million). This status provides Cameroon a seat on Afreximbank’s board alongside other African financial investors, ensuring representation in the bank’s strategic and operational decisions.
Analysts said the bank’s continued investment in Cameroon reflects both the country’s growing creditworthiness and the strategic importance of infrastructure and energy projects. The bitumen plant in Kribi, for instance, is expected to improve road construction capabilities, reduce reliance on imported materials, and create local employment opportunities.
Motazé emphasized that Afreximbank’s engagement demonstrates the benefits of pan-African financial cooperation. “This steady support reflects strong and deliberate confidence in Cameroon’s potential,” he said, adding that the partnership reinforces both government and private sector capacity to implement transformative projects.
With cumulative support exceeding US$1 billion, Afreximbank has positioned itself as a major financial partner for Cameroon, signaling a growing trend of African-led investment initiatives that aim to support sustainable development, infrastructure, and economic integration across the continent.
