The agreement for the establishment of the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), the development impact-oriented subsidiary of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has been signed by Nigeria.
Nigeria is the latest signatory to the Agreement.
A statement signed by Vincent Musumba, Manager, Media Relations, Afreximbank, said in Abuja on Friday.
Musumba said Nigeria joined the ranks of countries acceding to the Establishment Agreement of FEDA, becoming the 16th nation to do so.
He said this underscored the increasing backing the Fund enjoyed among African nations.
“This announcement comes three decades following Afreximbank’s establishment in Nigeria, a key milestone that boldly demonstrates Nigeria’s continued commitment to supporting Afreximbank and FEDA’s missions.
“ FEDA sees new memberships as critical to broadening its scope of interventions and its mission of delivering long-term capital to African economies, with a focus on industrialisation, intra-African trade and value-added exports.”
Musumba said the signing of the FEDA Establishment Agreement was expected to pave the way for the ratification of the agreement in due course.
“This will in turn bolster FEDA’s interventions in Nigeria.”
He quoted Prof. Benedict Oramah, President, Afreximbank and Chairman of the Boards of both Afreximbank and FEDA, as saying: ”we extend our sincere appreciation to the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the signing of the FEDA Establishment Agreement.
“This significant achievement further strengthens the already robust partnership between Afreximbank and Nigeria, one of the bank’s foremost supporters.
“The partnership will enhance investments in sectors critical to the development journey of Nigeria.”
Musumba said FEDA is the impact investment subsidiary of Afreximbank set up to provide equity, quasi-equity, and debt capital to finance the multi-billion-dollar funding gap (particularly in equity) needed to transform the Trade sector in Africa.
He said other countries who had acceded to FEDA’s Establishment Agreement included Rwanda, Mauritania, Guinea, Togo, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe.
Musumba said others are Kenya, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Sierra Leone, São Tomé and Príncipe, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana and Egypt.