15 October 2026: On 07 October 2026 in Abidjan, the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group approved a guarantee facility of US$8 million for Exim Bank Djibouti to finance trade for large enterprises and local SMEs.
The transaction guarantee will help accelerate the industrialisation process in the Republic of Djibouti, notably by supporting the import of inputs, production machinery and telecommunications equipment necessary for the development of the country’s industrial sector. The operation targets the green energy and manufacturing sectors and will have a direct impact on food and nutritional security by facilitating imports of essential goods for the benefit of the population.
“This facility will enable the Bank to provide up to 100 per cent guarantees to confirming banks to facilitate the confirmation of letters of credit and other similar trade finance instruments issued by Exim Bank Djibouti for the benefit of large local enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises,” said Lamin Drammeh, Head of the Trade Finance Division at the African Development Bank.
This trade support initiative will enable more effective support for many businesses within Djibouti’s economic landscape, whilst contributing to the development of the green energy sector and the manufacturing industry. It is fully aligned with the Bank’s 2023–2027 Country Strategy Paper for Djibouti focus area on the development of socio-economic infrastructure in the energy and transport sectors.
Jacky Kayiteshonga, Managing Director of Exim Bank Djibouti, welcomed this collaboration with the Bank Group, which builds on the existing partnership with the parent company, Exim Bank Tanzania. “This partnership is in line with the Exim Group’s strategy, of which financing international trade is one of the main pillars of our intervention strategy in East Africa,” she said.
The five-year facility will benefit large local enterprises and SMEs, including those led by women, targeting projects that are least vulnerable to climate risks and with minimal impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
