Cape Town, South Africa, 07 April 2026: African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has once again been recognised in three award categories by the International Financial Law Review (IFLR), a globally recognised authority on financial law and transactions. The 2026 IFLR Africa Awards, held annually, spotlight the most innovative cross-border deals in Africa and the legal teams and institutions driving these transformations transactions.
For a second year running, the multilateral development Bank won the ‘In-house Team of the Year: Financial institutions’ award building on its strong performance at the 2025 awards where it also bagged a treble. Afreximbank also received the ‘2026 IFLR Impact Deal of the Year’ award in connection with the US$1.35 billion corporate financing for Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), in addition to the ‘2026 IFLR Projects Infrastructure Deal of the Year’ for its role as Mandated Lead Arranger on the US$1.26 billion Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway financing.
The awards highlight Afreximbank’s pivotal role in delivering innovative financing solutions across the African continent. In respect of the NLNG transaction, Afreximbank, acting as one of the Mandated Lead Arrangers, participated in a syndicate of international and Nigerian lenders to deliver a US$1.35 billion multi-tranche corporate financing facility. The transaction strengthens NLNG’s capital base, which supports its expansion and reinforces its position as a critical driver of Nigeria’s export earnings and foreign exchange stability.
For the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project, Afreximbank and First Abu Dhabi Bank acted as Mandated Lead Arrangers on a US$1.26 billion sovereign-backed financing. The facility was fully underwritten with risk support from the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), marking one of Nigeria’s largest infrastructure financings and a significant milestone in advancing regional connectivity, trade and long-term economic growth.
The IFLR awards demonstrate Afreximbank’s commitment towards the delivery of bespoke, innovative financing structures, in line with the Bank’s intra-African trade strategy.
ENDS
About Afreximbank
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40.1 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), GCR (A), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-), and. Moody’s (Baa2). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its equity impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.
For more information, visit: www.afreximbank.com
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Media Contact:
Vincent Musumba
Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations)
Email: press@afreximbank.com