Afreximbank Launches $1B ATDC to Transform African Exports
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has launched the African Trade and Distribution Company (ATDC) to drive large-scale trade in raw materials, minerals and value-added goods across the continent.
The new entity, established through Afreximbank’s Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA) in partnership with Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP), Equitane DMCC and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, has already secured a US$1 billion pledge from Afreximbank. The funds will support product aggregation, logistics, distribution networks and subsidiary operations.
The official launch was presided over by Afreximbank President and Chairman, Prof. Benedict Oramah, during the ongoing Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) in Algiers. The ceremony was attended by Algeria’s Acting Prime Minister, H.E. Sifi Ghrieb, along with government leaders and ministers from across Africa and the Caribbean.
ATDC also unveiled its flagship subsidiary, ATDC Minerals (ATMIN), which will focus on trading and financing minerals and hydrocarbons.
Prof. Oramah said Africa must move beyond exporting raw commodities: “Africa is rich in resources; but historical dynamics have skewed our trade outwards. Through ATDC and ATMIN, we aim to close the loop, integrating value chains locally so that more of the benefits of our commodities and minerals are retained within Africa.”
On the sidelines of the launch, ATDC signed major agreements with partners across logistics, minerals and agriculture. These included a supply deal with Arise IIP for feedstock in special economic zones, a co-investment with BSMART Technology Limited to build digital logistics hubs at key African ports, and trade arrangements with Export Trading Group, KK Kingdom Nigeria Limited and Sunbeth Global Concepts Limited.
Additionally, ATDC entered joint venture agreements with CBZ Holdings and the Nigeria Commodity Exchange to establish national ATDCs in Zimbabwe and Nigeria. ATMIN also announced US$3 billion worth of deals, including oil lifting contracts with the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited and Roxzen Nigeria Limited.
ATDC’s Chief Executive Officer, Abdul Aziz Ba, emphasised the transformative potential of the initiative: “We will build a robust trading ecosystem across Africa, linking production and processing capacity to markets, and ensuring last-mile distribution. This will accelerate Africa’s transition from exporting raw materials to trading value-added products.”
Ajay Oommen, CEO of ATMIN, added that monetising Africa’s fossil fuel resources was key to strengthening intra-African trade and value retention ahead of the global energy transition.
IATF2025, co-hosted by Afreximbank, the African Union Commission and the AfCFTA Secretariat, runs until 10 September in Algiers. The biennial event has previously generated over US$118 billion in trade and investment deals, attracting more than 70,000 visitors and 4,500 exhibitors.
