The African Export-Import Bank has reported a stellar financial performance for the 2025 fiscal year, characterised by significant bottom-line growth and a massive expansion of its balance sheet to support trade across the continent.
The bank’s net profit climbed to $1.15bn (approximately N1.5tn), representing an 18 per cent increase over the $973.5m recorded in the 2024 financial year. This growth was underpinned by a 19.9 per cent year-on-year surge in total assets, which closed at N56.7trn, driven largely by a robust increase in loans and advances to African sovereigns and corporates.
The bank’s performance was anchored by strong interest income, which hit N4.2tn, reflecting the heightened demand for trade finance and infrastructure funding across Africa and the Caribbean.
Commenting on the results, a representative for the bank stated, “Our 2025 performance is a testament to the bank’s evolving capacity to bridge the financing gap in Africa. By growing our interest income and expanding our lending footprint to N45.7tn, we are ensuring that vital trade corridors remain open despite global macroeconomic volatility.”
The bank also saw a strengthening of its non-interest income, with net fees and commissions rising to N252bn.
This diversification of revenue streams helped offset rising operating costs and provided a buffer against fluctuating market conditions.
While the bank’s Stage 3 (impaired) loans saw a modest increase to N76.8bn, the overall credit profile remained healthy. Performing assets (Stage 1 loans) grew significantly to N44.3tn, while Stage 2 loans declined to N1.0tn, signalling improved risk management across its core portfolio.
Reflecting on the bank’s stability, the financial report noted, “The deliberate focus on asset quality and rigorous credit risk assessment has allowed us to maintain a resilient balance sheet. Our shareholders’ funds, which have now increased to N11.2tn, provide a formidable capital base to absorb shocks and scale our developmental impact.”
The bank’s liabilities also rose to N45tn, supported by strategic borrowings of N21tn, which have been channelled back into high-impact projects across the continent’s key economic sectors.
Despite the tightening of global financial conditions and geopolitical tensions, the bank remains optimistic about the future of the African Continental Free Trade Area and its expansion into the Caribbean.
In its closing remarks regarding the 2025 outlook, the bank’s leadership emphasised, “We enter the new financial year with a clear mandate to deepen intra-African trade and strengthen our ties with the African Diaspora. Our robust growth in 2025 is not just a financial milestone; it is a launchpad for the next phase of Africa’s economic transformation, and we are confident in the vast opportunities that lie ahead.”
With total assets now nearing the N60tn mark, Afreximbank has solidified its position as a central pillar of African trade finance, setting a high benchmark for multilateral institutions operating within emerging markets.
