Afreximbank Assets Hit $49.4bn as Bank Launches $10bn Gulf Crisis Fund

Afreximbank is entering 2026 in the strongest financial position in its history. The pan-African lender is also moving fast to use that strength where African economies need it most.

The bank closed the first quarter of 2026 with total assets and contingencies of $49.4 billion. Shareholders’ funds stood at $8.6 billion, while its capital adequacy ratio reached 23%. Its non-performing loan ratio was just 2.4%.

For a bank that had about $5 billion in assets a decade ago, the growth is remarkable.

Afreximbank President George Elombi disclosed the figures at a press conference ahead of the bank’s Annual Meetings, scheduled for June 21 in New Alamein City, Egypt.

What pushed assets higher

Afreximbank’s full-year 2025 results laid the foundation for its stronger 2026 position.

Total assets grew 21%, rising from $40.1 billion in 2024 to $48.5 billion by December 2025. Net loans and advances rose 16% to $33.5 billion. Net income increased 19% to $1.2 billion, while gross income reached $3.5 billion, up 6% year-on-year.

The bank also raised more than $800 million through Samurai and Panda bonds in Japan and China. That showed continued international investor confidence despite earlier concerns from rating agencies.

In the first quarter of 2026, Afreximbank also closed a $2 billion dual-tranche syndicated facility. The deal attracted 31 lenders from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

The $10 billion Gulf crisis response programme

The biggest announcement is the Gulf Crisis Response Bridge, a $10 billion facility approved by Afreximbank’s Board of Directors on March 31, 2026.

The fund was created after conflict in the Middle East escalated from February 28, 2026. The crisis disrupted global supplies of oil, LNG and fertiliser moving through the Strait of Hormuz.

African and Caribbean economies felt the pressure because many depend heavily on those supply routes.

The programme has three main goals.

First, it will provide trade finance to help member countries secure essential imports such as fuel and fertilisers.

Second, it will offer liquidity support to African commercial banks under financing pressure.

Third, it will fund supply chain diversification so Africa becomes less exposed to the next global shock.

Afreximbank is coordinating the response with the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the African Union Commission, the AfCFTA Secretariat and the CARICOM Secretariat.

Elombi said the crisis shows why Africa must build stronger regional supply chains.

“Africa’s next phase of growth must be driven by intra-African trade, industrialisation and greater economic sovereignty. Recent shocks have shown that Africa must build stronger regional supply chains and reduce excessive reliance on external systems for essential goods, payments and logistics.”

What it means for Nigeria and the region

Nigeria, one of Afreximbank’s largest member states, could benefit directly from the crisis facility and the bank’s wider financing push.

The bank already supports projects across Nigeria’s financial services, energy and manufacturing sectors. Access to the Gulf crisis liquidity window could help Nigerian banks and importers manage higher energy and shipping costs.

Egypt has also been named as a major beneficiary. Afreximbank is working with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation on fuel import financing. It is also supporting the country’s tourism sector and Suez Canal economic zones.

Over the past three years, the bank has provided about $9.5 billion in financing to Egypt.

Why this matters

Afreximbank has spent the past decade building a balance sheet strong enough to help African economies absorb global shocks.

The $10 billion Gulf crisis programme is now the clearest test of that strength.

The early signs are positive. The bank has raised fresh capital, attracted global lenders, and built a coordinated regional response framework.

Its Annual Meetings in Egypt are expected to draw about 4,000 delegates from Africa and the Caribbean. The key question now is whether Afreximbank can turn its record financial strength into real protection for member countries.