Export Development

Under its 5th strategic plan (2017-2021), the Bank has identified Industrialisation and Export Development (I&ED) as one of the pillars that would help to deliver on its mandate. The Export Development department therefore supports the I&ED pillar through the following mechanisms:

1. Facilitating and financing Africa’s manufactured exports in particular for agro-processing and light manufacturing sectors;
2. Developing and establishing Industrial Parks and Special Economic Zones across the continent;
3. Addressing Africa’s infrastructure constraints debilitating industrialization and export development;
4. Facilitating and enabling market access of Africa’s manufactured exports; and
5. Supporting export of services (medical services, tourism, etc.).

The Export Development department combines Credit, Risk Bearing, Twinning, Market Access to support projects geared towards promoting non-commodity export production, especially export manufacturing and services in-line with the objectives of the IEDS. It also provides Advisory Services and Capacity Building towards establishing the appropriate enabling environment for industrialization and export development on the continent.

Priority Sectors of Intervention

1. Industrial Parks (IPs), Export Processing Zones (EPZs), Special Economic Zones (SEZs). This involves:
   1. Developing inside and outside the fence infrastructure within the IPs, EPZs or SEZs; and/or
   2. Developing specific infrastructure within these IPs, EPZs and SEZs that serves the parks or factories within it.
2. Agro-processing projects and Agri related/enabling industries with products bound for exports intra or extra Africa such as, but not limited to:
   1. Cashew and other nut processing;
   2. Edible and cosmetic oil processing;
   3. Cocoa, tea, coffee processing;
   4. Sugar refineries;
   5. Meat processing and packaging;
   6. Fish processing and packaging with products; and
   7. Fertilisers and other inputs manufacturing.
3. Light Manufacturing projects with products bound for exports intra- or extra- Africa and contribute to industrialization and value addition in Africa such as, but not limited to:
   1. Electronics and other white goods manufactures;
   2. Beverages and other FMCG products;
   3. Packaging materials,
   4. Textile and clothing manufacturing,
   5. Shoes and leather products manufacturing;
   6. Furniture manufacturing; and
   7. Pharmaceutical manufacturing
4. Service Exports projects such as, but not limited to:
   1. Hotels and Resorts (through the Bank’s CONTOUR product),
   2. Tertiary/Specialist Hospitals (through the Bank’s CONMED product).
   3. Utilities companies exporting services.
   4. Logistics related services and projects (logistics providers, logistics hubs, etcetera).

Tools of Intervention – Initiatives

• Industrial Parks & Export Processing Zones (IPs & EPZs)

This initiative aims to facilitate the emergence and expansion of Industrial Parks/Export Processing Zones across Africa focusing on the development of agricultural product processing, industrial manufacturing, bonded logistics in addition to comprehensive functions provided by various types of facilities.

• SME Development Programme (SDP)

This initiative is designed to provide a range of comprehensive financial and non-financial services to support export-oriented SME’s in furtherance of the Bank’s Intra-African trade and Industrialization and Export Development strategic pillars.

• African Medical Center of Excellence (AMCE)

This initiative aims at supporting emergence of Centres of Excellence in medical services in a number of selected African countries to promote Intra-African medical tourism and reduce the need for medical treatment outside the continent.

• Africa Quality Assurance Center (AQAC)

The initiative aims to facilitate the emergence of internationally accredited Quality Assurance Centres across Africa that provide testing, inspection and certification services as well as training in conformity assessment. This is to ensure that Made-in-Africa products meet applicable international standards and technical regulations. It is expected that the AQACs initiative will facilitate trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).