Algiers, Algeria (TDI): Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) announced a landmark strategic partnership aimed at mobilizing at least US$1 billion in investments across Africa’s housing and urban infrastructure sectors.
The signing of the Joint Project Preparation Facility (JPPF) Framework Agreement took place on the sidelines of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) in Algiers.
The agreement was formalized by Thierno-Habib Hann, Managing Director and CEO of ShafDB, and Oluranti Doherty, Managing Director of Export Development at Afreximbank.
The JPPF is designed to bridge critical gaps in early-stage project development, taking infrastructure initiatives from concept to bankability with greater speed and precision.
This partnership will focus on strategic sectors including construction, housing, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing of building materials, logistics, and special economic zones.
By targeting these high-impact areas, the initiative aims to create resilient and inclusive urban environments while driving trade and investment.
Doherty hailed the partnership as a transformative step in Africa’s development journey: “This collaboration with Shelter Afrique aligns with our shared commitment to sustainable urban growth and economic development.”
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“By pooling expertise in housing, infrastructure, and project preparation, we are creating a powerful platform for unlocking private sector investment and building economic hubs that will promote trade and tradeable services,” she added.
Beyond project financing, the JPPF incorporates a strong capacity-building component to enhance technical skills within ShafDB.
This includes upskilling staff in project preparation, ensuring a sustainable pipeline of high-quality, investment-ready infrastructure projects for years to come.
Hann emphasized the importance of this initiative in tackling the housing sector’s structural challenges: “We face two critical barriers — the lack of reliable data and insufficient project preparation.”
“With our VIRAL model addressing the first, this partnership with Afreximbank addresses the second. The JPPF is a vital tool to unlock over $1 billion in investments and deliver transformative, bankable projects across the continent,” he added.
Both institutions are part of the Alliance of African Multilateral Financial Institutions (AAMFI), reflecting their shared commitment to collaborative and innovative solutions for Africa’s development.
The signing took place during IATF2025, a major pan-African trade event expected to generate over US$44 billion in trade and investment deals.
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