African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has once again been recognised in three award categories by the International Financial Law Review (IFLR), a globally recognised authority on financial law and transactions. The 2026 IFLR Africa Awards, held annually, spotlight the most innovative cross-border deals in Africa and the legal teams and institutions driving these transformations transactions.
For a second year running, the multilateral development Bank won the ‘In-house Team of the Year: Financial institutions‘ award building on its strong performance at the 2025 awards where it also bagged a treble. Afreximbank also received the ‘2026 IFLR Impact Deal of the Year’ award in connection with the US$1.35 billion corporate financing for Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), in addition to the ‘2026 IFLR Projects Infrastructure Deal of the Year’ for its role as Mandated Lead Arranger on the US$1.26 billion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway financing.
The awards highlight Afreximbank’s pivotal role in delivering innovative financing solutions across the African continent. In respect of the NLNG transaction, Afreximbank, acting as one of the Mandated Lead Arrangers, participated in a syndicate of international and Nigerian lenders to deliver a US$1.35 billion multi-tranche corporate financing facility. The transaction strengthens NLNG’s capital base, which supports its expansion and reinforces its position as a critical driver of Nigeria’s export earnings and foreign exchange stability.
For the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, Afreximbank and First Abu Dhabi Bank acted as Mandated Lead Arrangers on a US$1.26 billion sovereign-backed financing. The facility was fully underwritten with risk support from the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), marking one of Nigeria’s largest infrastructure financings and a significant milestone in advancing regional connectivity, trade and long-term economic growth.
The IFLR awards demonstrate Afreximbank’s commitment towards the delivery of bespoke, innovative financing structures, in line with the Bank’s intra-African trade strategy.