Afreximbank targets $1.5 billion in financing for trade and related infrastructure in Mauritania
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) will attract $1.5 billion to Mauritania to finance development of trade and related infrastructure under the terms of a memorandum of understanding signed with the country, Bank President Benedict Oramah has announced.
Speaking in Nouakchott on Monday following meetings with President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania and several of his ministers, Dr. Oramah said that the MoU was aimed at strengthening economic cooperation between the Bank and Mauritania, one of Afreximbank’s member states.
Dr. Oramah, who led a delegation of business leaders and Afreximbank officials for discussions on trade and investment opportunities in Mauritania, said that the Bank saw opportunities to “support Mauritania’s Strategic Plan for Accelerated Growth and Shared Prosperity through the financing of key projects it had identified in the agri-processing, fisheries, hotel construction and related logistics and infrastructure sectors”.
He announced said that $500 million of the amount to be attracted by Afreximbank would go to the development of the private sector, a key priority of the government, in the form of credit lines through local banks.
The other $1 billion would be raised by Afreximbank after evaluating eligible projects that support the construction of trade-facilitating infrastructure, industrial parks and special economic zones and fish processing.
In his remarks, President Ould Abdel Aziz commended Afreximbank for its efforts to contribute to Mauritania’s economic development and gave assurance of the country’s commitment to the implementation of the MoU.
The delegation also held meetings with Moctar Ould Ajay, the Minister of Economy and Finance, the Minister of Petroleum, Mines and Energy, Dr Mohamed Ould Abdel Vettah Dr Mohamed Ould Abdel Vettah Dr Mohamed Ould Abdel VettahDDr. Mohamed Abdel Vetah, the Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, Nani Ould Chrougha, and the Governor of the Mauritanian Central Bank, Abdel Aziz OULD DAHI.
Meetings were also held with the CEOs of the National Mining Company and the Free Zone of Nouadibou, as well as with several local businesses leaders.
The meetings were aimed at enabling the accompanying business leaders to explore trade and investment opportunities in Mauritania, allowing them to discuss opportunities to set up joint ventures, bid for the construction of infrastructure and invest in concessions.
The business leaders were drawn from the energy, oil and gas, financial services, agriculture, telecom, real estate and manufacturing sectors in Egypt, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Tunisia.
Since 1993, Afreximbank has provided extensive financing support to the Mauritanian economy, mainly through the banking sector to support local import and export transactions and the development of leasing activities.