CAIRO, June 23 – The African Export-Import Bank has signed a US$500 million term loan facility with the Central Bank of Tunisia, acting on behalf of Tunisia’s Ministry of Finance, to support the country’s key socio-economic priorities and strengthen its external financing position.
The agreement was signed at Afreximbank’s headquarters in Cairo during a meeting attended by George Elombi, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, and Fethi Zouhaier Nouri, Governor of the Central Bank of Tunisia, alongside senior officials from both institutions.
The new financing builds on the US$1.2 billion previously disbursed by Afreximbank to Tunisia and is designed to help the government meet maturing trade-related debt obligations while strengthening access to foreign currency liquidity.
The facility will also finance imports of essential goods, including fuel, fertilizers and food products, supporting economic stability and ensuring the continued availability of critical supplies.
The transaction further reinforces Afreximbank’s role as a countercyclical lender, providing financial support to African economies during periods of constrained access to international capital markets.
Commenting on the agreement, George Elombi said the facility demonstrates Afreximbank’s continued commitment to supporting Tunisia and Africa’s long-term economic transformation.
“This facility reaffirms Afreximbank’s strong commitment to supporting Tunisia and the continent’s sustainable socio-economic development. We thank the Government of Tunisia, through the Central Bank of Tunisia, and the Ministry of Finance for the growing collaboration, especially at a most critical time when international development finance institutions continue to deprioritise Africa. For us, the message is unequivocal: African institutions must lead Africa’s development,” he said.
Governor Fethi Zouhaier Nouri welcomed the continued partnership, describing the financing as an important source of support for Tunisia’s trade financing requirements and foreign exchange needs.
He said the facility highlights the importance of African financial institutions working together to address shared economic challenges and strengthen national resilience.
Through its trade finance, project finance and liquidity support programmes, Afreximbank continues to provide financing that enables African economies to strengthen trade resilience, secure essential imports and expand participation in both intra-African and global trade.
The latest facility underscores the bank’s growing role in supporting member states as they navigate external financing pressures while advancing broader economic development objectives.
