The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has officially launched the African Trade and Distribution Company (ATDC) to drive large-scale trade in raw materials, minerals, and value-added products across the continent.
The entity, established through Afreximbank’s Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA) in collaboration with Arise IIP, Equitane DMCC, and the AfCFTA Secretariat, was unveiled during the ongoing Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) in Algiers, Algeria. Afreximbank has committed US$1 billion in funding to support ATDC’s aggregation of value-added goods, logistics and distribution networks, and subsidiary operations.
The launch also introduced ATDC Minerals (ATMIN), a flagship subsidiary dedicated to trading and financing minerals and hydrocarbons, which announced deals worth about US$3 billion, including oil lifting arrangements with the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited and Roxzen Nigeria Limited. ATDC signed agreements with partners across multiple sectors—logistics, agriculture, minerals, and commodities—including collaborations with Arise IIP, BSMART Technology, Export Trading Group (ETG), KK Kingdom Nigeria Limited, and Sunbeth Global Concepts Limited. Joint ventures were also agreed with CBZ Holdings and Nigeria Commodity Exchange to establish national ATDCs in Zimbabwe and Nigeria.
Potential Benefits to African Trade:
The launch of ATDC marks a significant shift in Africa’s trade model, moving from raw commodity exports to value addition and integrated distribution that strengthen regional value chains and expand processing capacity. With its focus on minerals, commodities, and logistics, ATDC is set to boost intra-African trade under AfCFTA, improve supply chain efficiency, and drive industrialization, job creation, and investment. Through ATDC Minerals’ strategy of monetizing fossil fuel resources while aligning with the global energy transition, the initiative also positions Africa more competitively in global markets while advancing long-term economic integration and resilience.