S&P Global Ratings has awarded the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) a ‘BBB+’ long-term and ‘A-2′ short-term issuer credit rating, both carrying a Stable Outlook. The ratings affirm the Bank’s strong financial footing and its central role in advancing trade, industrialisation, and economic development across Africa and the broader Global Africa community.
S&P’s assessment points to Afreximbank’s growing strategic importance, its robust enterprise risk profile, and its increasingly pivotal function as a countercyclical institution — one that steps in to support African economies during periods of global and regional turbulence. The agency specifically highlighted the Bank’s strong policy relevance and the consistent backing it receives from shareholders, noting its work in advancing intra-African trade, supporting the rollout of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and building out transformative platforms that reinforce regional integration and economic resilience.
The Bank’s growth trajectory has been substantial. Between 2015 and 2025, total assets climbed from $7.1 billion to $42.3 billion, while shareholders’ equity rose from $1.3 billion to $8.4 billion — growth S&P cited as evidence of deepening policy relevance and sustained shareholder confidence.
Dr. George Elombi, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, welcomed the rating as a validation of the institution’s direction. “This rating is a strong endorsement of Afreximbank’s financial strength, stability, and international credibility,” he said, adding that it reflects the solid capital base, strong liquidity, and the quality of the Bank’s assets, as well as the enduring trust placed in it by African states and authorities. Dr. Elombi struck a broader note, drawing a parallel to Africa’s struggle for independence: “The pursuit of Africa’s economic change will not be handed to us. It demands deliberate, bold, courageous and decisive action by the continent itself, working with its diaspora.”
S&P also recognised Afreximbank’s track record of responding to major external crises — from the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and commodity price downturns. Most recently, the Bank announced a US$10 billion Gulf Crisis Response Programme designed to cushion African and Caribbean economies from the economic ripple effects of the Middle East conflict.
Beyond crisis response, Afreximbank has continued building out the infrastructure underpinning African trade. Its portfolio of initiatives includes the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, the Africa Trade Gateway, the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund, and a range of trade finance, project finance, and advisory services.
S&P’s Stable Outlook reflects confidence in the Bank’s strengthened countercyclical role, ongoing shareholder support, and a record of consecutive capital increases.
At the close of December 2025, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at over US$48.5 billion, with shareholder funds of US$8.4 billion. The Bank now holds investment grade ratings from five agencies: CCXI (AAA), GCR (A), JCR (A-), Moody’s (Baa2), and S&P Global Ratings (BBB+).
