Menu

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) on Tuesday launched the African Trade and Distribution Company (ATDC) to catalyse large scale trade in raw materials, minerals and value-added products from across Africa. 

Afreximbank, through the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), established ATDC in collaboration with Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP), Equitane DMCC and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat. The new entity has already secured a $1 billion funding pledge from Afreximbank to invest in aggregation of value-added goods, support logistics and distribution networks as well as financing its subsidiaries’ business operations.  

The President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Prof. Benedict Oramah, officiated the operational launch of ATDC in an event held during the Intra-Africa Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) in Algiers, Algeria. 

Also unveiled during the launch was ATDC’s flagship subsidiary, ATDC Minerals (ATMIN), dedicated to trading and financing minerals and hydrocarbons.  

Benedict Oramah said: “Africa is rich in resources; but historical dynamics have skewed our trade outwards. Traditionally, the continent has relied on others to add value to its commodities and minerals as well as to trade them. Through ATDC and ATMIN, we aim to close the loop and to take back control of how our commodities and minerals in global Africa are produced and traded across value chains by integrating them in local economies to benefit more people.”  

On the margins of the official launch ceremony, ATDC signed deals with several firms across the continent spanning logistics, minerals, agricultural produce, among others. These include: a collaboration with Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP) to supply feedstock to its operating companies in various special economic zones; a co-investment partnership with BSMART Technology Limited to establish digitally integrated logistics hubs in key African ports; trade repos with Export Trading Group (ETG), KK Kingdom Nigeria Limited, and Sunbeth Global Concepts Limited. ATDC also agreed on terms for joint ventures with CBZ Holdings and Nigeria Commodity Exchange for setting up national ATDCs in Zimbabwe and Nigeria respectively. At the same time, ATMIN announced landmark deals to the tune of about $3 billion, which included oil lifting arrangements with Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited and Roxzen Nigeria Limited.  

IATF2025 is ongoing until September 10, 2025. It is the fourth edition of IATF, the biennial event co-convened by Afreximbank, the African Union Commission and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and hosted by the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria. 

The last three editions of IATF have cumulatively generated over $118 billion in trade and investment deals and attracted more than 70,000 visitors and 4,500 exhibitors, according to Afreximbank.

IATF is a platform for businesses to showcase their goods and services to visitors and buyers while exploring opportunities and exchanging information. It aims to tap into opportunities from AfCFTA’s single market of over 1.4 billion people and GDP of over $3.5 trillion.