Afreximbank signs $500 million loan facility with Tunisia to support imports, liquidity

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has signed a US$500 million term loan facility with Tunisia’s central bank on behalf of the finance ministry to help the North African country finance essential imports, meet trade debt obligations and bolster foreign currency liquidity.

The agreement was signed at Afreximbank’s headquarters in Cairo on Monday by Afreximbank President George Elombi and Central Bank of Tunisia Governor Fethi Zouhaier Nouri, the lender said in a statement.

The facility comes in addition to US$1.2 billion previously disbursed by the pan-African trade finance institution to Tunisia’s central bank.

According to Afreximbank, the financing will support Tunisia’s socio-economic priorities by helping the government meet maturing trade debt obligations and fund imports of key commodities, including fuel, fertilisers and food products.

Tunisia has faced persistent economic challenges in recent years, including pressure on public finances, limited access to external financing and foreign currency constraints that have complicated the financing of imports and debt repayments.

Elombi said the facility underscored Afreximbank’s commitment to supporting Tunisia and Africa’s broader economic development agenda.

“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,” he said.

“For us, the message is unequivocal: African institutions must lead Africa’s development,” he said.

Nouri said the financing would help sustain essential imports at a time when access to trade finance and foreign currency liquidity remained critical.

“This facility demonstrates the value of African financial institutions working together to address shared economic priorities and support national resilience,” he said.

Afreximbank said it would continue supporting African economies through trade finance, project finance and liquidity support programmes aimed at strengthening trade resilience and expanding participation in regional and global commerce.

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