The Central African Republic (CAR) has officially joined the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), becoming the institution’s 46th member state and expanding one of Africa’s most influential pan-African development finance networks.
The move marks a strategic step for CAR as it seeks to unlock its vast natural resource potential through infrastructure-led growth, with AFC providing access to capital, expertise, and partnerships that can catalyze industrialization.
Rich in diamonds, gold, timber, and hydropower potential, the Central African Republic aims to use its membership to accelerate investments in energy, transport, and natural resource development, key sectors needed to stabilize and diversify its economy.
👉 Related Reading: Bridging Africa’s Infrastructure Gap: Unlocking a $6 Billion Opportunity
⚙️ Accelerating CAR’s Development Vision
Hon. Hervé Ndoba, CAR’s Minister of Finance and Budget, called the country’s entry into AFC a “new chapter” in its development journey.
“The Corporation’s expertise in mining and renewables is precisely what our country needs. We are proud to partner with AFC on our shared vision of industrial growth and infrastructure-led development,” said Ndoba.
By joining AFC, CAR gains access to innovative project financing models, technical advisory services, and international co-financing platforms — mechanisms that can help turn underutilized natural wealth into productive capital assets.
The partnership is expected to target critical infrastructure areas such as:
-
Energy and Power: Expanding generation capacity and grid connectivity.
-
Transport: Developing regional trade corridors and logistics hubs.
-
Mining and Industrialization: Enhancing value addition through beneficiation and local processing.
👉 Explore: Africa’s Infrastructure Gap: The $100 Billion Question
💰 Why AFC Membership Matters
Founded in 2007, the Africa Finance Corporation is one of the continent’s leading multilateral institutions, providing project development, structured financing, and risk mitigation for major infrastructure and industrial ventures.
AFC has invested more than $12 billion across 36 African countries, spanning sectors like energy, transport, telecommunications, natural resources, and heavy industry.
Membership gives CAR access to:
-
Equity and debt funding instruments for public-private partnerships (PPPs).
-
Project preparation facilities that improve bankability and attract investors.
-
Regional co-investment opportunities with AFC’s strategic partners — including sovereign wealth funds and development banks.
In return, CAR commits to supporting AFC’s legal and operational framework, ensuring alignment with the corporation’s governance and investment standards.
👉 See also: Diaspora Bonds and Africa’s Development Financing Future
🏗️ Transforming Natural Resources into National Prosperity
CAR’s economy remains heavily dependent on extractive industries, with diamonds and gold accounting for the majority of export revenues. However, limited infrastructure and weak energy systems have long constrained downstream processing and value addition.
AFC’s entry provides a chance to shift the country’s growth model from raw exports to industrial processing and infrastructure-led diversification.
Under the partnership, AFC is expected to explore:
-
Renewable energy projects to expand rural electrification and power industrial zones.
-
Transport corridor upgrades to link CAR with regional trade hubs in Cameroon, Chad, and the Congo Basin.
-
Mining infrastructure financing to improve sustainability, transparency, and local beneficiation.
These priorities align with CAR’s National Recovery and Peacebuilding Plan (RCPCA), which emphasizes infrastructure as the foundation for stability and long-term growth.
👉 Read also: Top 10 Sectors to Invest in Africa 2025 – 2030
🌐 Regional Integration and Pan-African Collaboration
AFC President and CEO Samaila Zubairu welcomed CAR to the institution, noting that its membership strengthens the corporation’s Central African footprint.
“We are honored to welcome the Central African Republic as our 46th member state. AFC stands ready to deploy our financial innovation and project development expertise to transform CAR’s abundant resources into resilient infrastructure and sustainable prosperity,” Zubairu said.
AFC’s growing membership base now spans North, West, East, Southern, and Central Africa, giving it a truly continental reach. This integration enables AFC to:
-
Support cross-border projects like transport corridors and energy interconnections.
-
Pool resources from multiple governments and private investors.
-
Accelerate implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) through logistics and financing partnerships.
👉 Explore further: African Continental Free Trade Area: The Infrastructure Connection
🌍 A Model for Blended Financing and Partnerships
AFC’s track record demonstrates how blended financing — combining commercial capital, concessional funding, and sovereign partnerships — can unlock large-scale investments even in challenging environments.
Projects such as:
-
Senegal’s Taiba N’Diaye Wind Farm (158 MW)
-
Ghana’s Takoradi Port expansion
-
Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery infrastructure financing
…show that African countries can attract world-class investment through transparent governance and project preparation.
CAR’s inclusion positions it to benefit from this same expertise and establish a pipeline of bankable projects capable of attracting both institutional investors and diaspora capital.
👉 Related insight: The African Diaspora: Driving Africa’s Global Transformation (2025 Edition)
🔎 Outlook: Infrastructure as the Path to Stability
The Central African Republic’s AFC membership represents more than a financial agreement — it’s a statement of intent. By joining one of Africa’s premier financial institutions, CAR signals its determination to pivot from fragility to opportunity.
The challenge ahead will be to translate membership into measurable impact: completed roads, expanded power grids, and industries that create jobs for citizens.
As CAR integrates further into continental financial frameworks, it stands poised to transform its natural wealth into national resilience — with the Africa Finance Corporation as a key partner in that journey.
