The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has launched the African Trade and Distribution Company (ATDC) with a $1 billion funding pledge to expand large-scale trade in raw materials, minerals and value-added goods across Africa.
ATDC, established through the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), is a joint initiative of Afreximbank, Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP), Equitane DMCC, and the AfCFTA Secretariat.
The official launch took place on Wednesday in Algiers during the Intra-Africa Trade Fair (IATF2025), attended by Algeria’s Acting Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb, other African leaders and ministers.
Afreximbank President Prof. Benedict Oramah said ATDC would “close the loop” on Africa’s historic dependence on exporting raw commodities by building integrated value chains that keep more wealth within the continent.
“Through ATDC and ATMIN, we aim to take back control of how our commodities and minerals are traded globally by integrating them into local economies to benefit more people,” Oramah said.
ATDC also unveiled its flagship subsidiary, ATDC Minerals (ATMIN), dedicated to trading and financing minerals and hydrocarbons. ATMIN announced deals worth $3 billion, including oil lifting agreements with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and Roxzen Nigeria Limited.
ATDC signed collaborations with Arise IIP to supply feedstock to industrial zones, a co-investment partnership with BSMART Technology to establish digital logistics hubs in key African ports, and trade repos with ETG, KK Kingdom Nigeria, and Sunbeth Global Concepts.
It also agreed joint ventures with CBZ Holdings and the Nigeria Commodity Exchange to establish national ATDCs in Zimbabwe and Nigeria.
ATDC CEO Abdul Aziz Ba said the company would “cultivate a robust trading ecosystem that integrates with global markets for shared prosperity.”
ATMIN CEO Ajay Oommen added that the subsidiary was committed to monetising Africa’s fossil fuel resources ahead of the global energy transition.
The fourth edition of the biennial IATF, co-hosted by Afreximbank, the African Union Commission and AfCFTA Secretariat, concludes in Algiers.
Nume Ekeghe
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