By Obinna Uballa
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has launched the African Trade and Distribution Company (ATDC) to accelerate large scale trade in raw materials, minerals, and value-added goods across the continent.
The initiative, announced on Tuesday during the ongoing Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) in Algiers, aims to strengthen Africa’s role in global value chains by promoting local processing and distribution.
ATDC, established through Afreximbank’s investment arm, the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), will operate in collaboration with Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP), Equitane DMCC, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, a statement from the bank said.
Afreximbank has committed $1 billion in funding to support ATDC’s operations, including aggregation of value-added goods, logistics and distribution networks, and financing its subsidiaries, the statement added.
The launch was officiated by Afreximbank President, Prof. Benedict Oramah, in the presence of Algeria’s Acting Prime Minister, H.E. Sifi Ghrieb, and several African and Caribbean leaders.
Prof. Oramah said the ATDC initiative will help Africa reclaim control over its resource value chains, “Africa is rich in resources, but historical dynamics have skewed our trade outwards. Through ATDC and its mineral subsidiary ATMIN, we aim to close the loop and ensure that value addition and trade remain within Africa for the benefit of its people.”
ATDC also unveiled its flagship subsidiary, ATDC Minerals (ATMIN), which will focus on trading and financing minerals and hydrocarbons, according to the statement. ATMIN signed oil lifting deals worth about $3 billion, including agreements with Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and Roxzen Nigeria Limited.
In addition, ATDC sealed several strategic partnerships during the launch, including: a collaboration with Arise IIP to supply feedstock to special economic zones; a co-investment deal with BSMART Technology Limited to set up digitally integrated logistics hubs; agreements with Export Trading Group (ETG), KK Kingdom Nigeria Ltd, and Sunbeth Global Concepts Ltd for agricultural and commodity trade and a joint venture plans with CBZ Holdings (Zimbabwe), and the Nigeria Commodity Exchange to establish national ATDC offices.
ATDC CEO Abdul Aziz Ba emphasized that the company will drive Africa’s shift from raw material exports to value-added products: “We are creating a robust trading ecosystem that connects regional value chains, enhances last-mile distribution, and integrates with global markets for shared prosperity.”
